Dragons prop Chris Coleman set for Wales debut against Japan
Interim head coach Matt Sherratt has made four changes to the XV that threw away a commanding position to lose 24-19 last week.
Dragons talisman Aaron Wainwright comes in at number eight to replace Taulupe Faletau, who suffered cramping in the heat and humidity of Kitakyushu.
Ospreys fly-half Dan Edwards will make his first international start, Archie Griffin gets the nod at tighthead and Gloucester's Freddie Thomas replaces Dragons captain Ben Carter, who suffered a concussion in the first minute last week.
There could be three debuts from the bench with Coleman joined by wing Keelan Giles and scrum-half Reuben Morgan-Williams.
Sherratt said: 'I want to have a little bit of a freshen up. So, Dan Edwards comes in at ten. Dan's trained brilliantly over the three weeks. He was great in the Six Nations so we want to have a look at him.
'Unfortunately, Ben Carter has gone home so Freddie Thomas comes in. Keiron Assiratti has not been able to train as much as we'd like this week.
'So, it was more sensible to start Archie [Griffin] and that gives Chris Coleman a chance to make his debut off the bench.
'Toby had a little bit heat stress related cramping [following the game]. We decided it was best Aaron Wainwright starts at No 8.
'We've made a couple of other changes on the bench as well, so delighted for Keelan and Reuben. They thoroughly deserve a chance.'
Coleman's selection is reward for a strong campaign despite the Dragons' struggles with the prop playing in 19 of 22 games, 15 of those appearances as a starter.
He will get a chance to become an international but there is frustration for his Rodney Parade teammates Elliot Dee and Rhodri Williams.
Hooker Dee misses out on the 23 again, with Liam Belcher preferred as captain Dewi Lake's back-up, while scrum-half Williams drops out of the matchday squad.
He was bizarrely left on the bench in the first Test despite the energy-sapping conditions and Kieran Hardy, who has retained his starting spot, failing to fire.
Wales cannot afford to make the same mistakes against a Japan side who were not at their best as they rebuild under Eddie Jones.
Sherratt added: 'I think our biggest challenge this week is going to be repeating some of the good and then in that last 20 minutes it's making our lineout launch more effective so we can get our game on the field. Perhaps being a little bit braver with the ball as well.
'I think atmospherically it's going to be a great experience for the players and obviously there's no getting away from the heat.
'The roof's closed. From experience of the roof being closed in Principality Stadium, the ball can be a little bit greasy.
'It's going to be hot, maybe a little bit wet, but there'll be there'll be some atmosphere because the fans over here love their rugby.'
Wales: Blair Murray; Tom Rogers, Johnny Williams, Ben Thomas, Josh Adams; Dan Edwards, Kieran Hardy; Nicky Smith, Dewi Lake (captain), Archie Griffin, Freddie Thomas, Teddy Williams, Alex Mann, Josh Macleod, Aaron Wainwright.
Replacements: Liam Belcher, Gareth Thomas, Chris Coleman, James Ratti, Taine Plumtree, Tommy Reffell, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Keelan Giles.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
22 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Morgan claims England 'never beaten' as subs remain vital for Wiegman
While Morgan's was not the switch that caught the headlines, her introduction for Jess Carter instigated a system change that saw England move to a back five. It is indicative of the precision and impact Wiegman seeks to have with her substitutes and proved game-changing as the Lionesses scored two quickfire goals to take Sweden to extra-time in Zurich. For Morgan, the deficit proved freeing in her major tournament debut as she looked to haul England back from the precipice of an exit after entering in the 70th minute. 'I was really excited to be able to come on and have the mindset with [Beth] Meado and Mich [Agyemang] that we have nothing to lose. Just try to make an impact,' she said. 'Not long after that Chloe [Kelly] came on and served up two brilliant crosses for us to come back. That was just such a thrill and then you've got the adrenaline going. 'When extra-time comes you know you've got another 30 minutes of football, so you've got to re-regulate, bring yourself back down level and focus. 'We managed to battle through that and hang on even with people going down and then penalties came and that was just ridiculous really.' Morgan looked completely at home in the new-look back three despite playing her first European Championship minutes in one of the most intense encounters of the competition so far. Having missed Euro 2022 through injury and remained an unused substitute during the 2023 World Cup, it was particularly emotional for her family, who were there in support and watched on through a nerve-wracking 14 penalties. 'It was really, really special. Apparently, my mum was sobbing when I came on, bless her! It doesn't take much to set her off watching the football,' said Morgan. 'She was crying as well after we won on penalties, so a lot of tears were shed. 'I was just really excited to get the opportunity. I've been working hard throughout the tournament to stay prepared if I was called upon so I felt really ready when that happened to be able to make an impact and a good contribution to the team. 'Being able to turn it around and get the win in the end was such a joyous moment.' England's is a bench that has consistently caught headlines as Morgan and her peers have big shoes to fill. Whether for the impact of Ella Toone, Chloe Kelly and Alessia Russo three years ago at Euro 2022, or for their 'snapping' celebration after Beth Mead's goal against Wales the Lionesses' bench has remained impactful. Against Sweden, it proved no different. Kelly's impact, in particular, was remarkable. She was instrumental in both of England's open play goals before going on to score a decisive penalty in the shootout. 'She's an incredible player. She seems to thrive on these moments when the team needs her to pull a performance out of the bag,' Morgan reflected. 'She was getting in great positions in the wide areas and Chloe is a brilliant crosser of the ball so when I saw her cut in, I just knew she was going to land it on somebody's head. Thankfully, people were there ready to finish it off. 'Obviously she had a decisive penalty as well and under that pressure, there is no one I would rather have in that position. 'She's so reliable and just so composed and calm. She said afterwards that she made eye contact with the 'keeper and she was smirking at her, so she just started laughing. 'I just think the composure in that moment to just be so free and at ease to be able to laugh just shows what a brilliant player she is at stepping up.' Another player who entered the field alongside Morgan also proved vital in England's efforts to turn around the two-goal deficit. Michelle Agyemang, at just 19 years old, came on to score the equaliser and turn in a brilliant display as a second striker that had Morgan singing her praises. 'I'm so proud of the impact she has been able to make,' she said of the forward. 'At the end of the game I just said, 'Mich, you are clutch,' because that's twice now she's stepped up in pressured situations to come off the bench and make an incredible impact. 'She's someone we know we can turn to in stressful situations to be a presence, holding the ball up, linking play, making runs in behind. 'She's an incredibly hard worker and has an incredible sense of the positions she should take up in the box to get on the end of chances.' It is a strength in depth that has bailed England out on several occasions and a group that Wiegman clearly trusts to turn to when the pressure is on. As the manager often reinforces the 'togetherness' in the team, it is often those off the pitch that embody that mentally the most. And as the Lionesses progress to a semi-final against Italy, there is no doubt that Wiegman will once more turn to Morgan and her fellow 'finishers' to see England through regardless of the game state. 'On the bench we're always encouraging each other to spread belief to those on the pitch, but also to stay ready and make an impact,' added Morgan. 'That was what we spoke about when all of us were sat on the bench at the start of the second half, and all of us were. 'I'm really proud of everyone. We've just got such amazing character and grit and determination in the group that we're never beaten.'
The Guardian
22 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Euros continue to serve up goal fest as playing styles collide to dazzling effect
And frankly, have you not been entertained? If, of course, we are willing to stretch our definition of 'entertainment' to include some of the other popular sensations. Suspense. Terror. Existential despair. Cold sweating. Temporary breakdown of the nervous system. Loud screaming at inanimate items of electrical equipment. But as we approach the final week of this operatic Women's European Championship, this tournament has a fair claim to be one of the most thrilling in recent memory. And not just on the more intangible metrics: noise, penalty drama, side-eye, flying saves, players singing unprompted into pitch-side microphones, quality of fan walks. With three matches remaining, Euro 2025 has surpassed Euro 2022 in terms of goals, averaging a staggering half a goal more (3.57 against 3.06). This is on course to be the highest-scoring European Championship in history, excluding the limited four-team mini-competitions that were held before 1997. Only two tournaments ago, Euro 2017 averaged just 2.19 goals per game. A 63% rise in goals constitutes a seismic and really quite sudden development in the sport, one that raises a few supplementary questions. Have attacks got better? Have defences got worse? And, you know, what if some of these players actually learned to take a penalty? Perhaps the key finding here is that possession is no guarantee of control. If you exclude blowouts such as England 6 Wales 1 and include only matches between teams of roughly comparable strength (say, within 10 places of each other in the Fifa world rankings) then the team enjoying more possession has won just six games out of 17. The Netherlands had more of the ball against France and were demolished 5-2. Meanwhile, Norway's 2-1 win against Finland was secured with just 41% of possession. Winning games without possession generally requires one of a few to be true: a preponderance of set-piece goals, a reliance on fast direct attacks or a knack of being able to burgle the ball in the final third. None of which appears to be a disproportionate factor here. Set-piece goals are down compared with three years ago. The number of 'direct attacks', as defined by Opta, is at a similar level. Pressing, meanwhile, remains a potent weapon in the women's game, perhaps even more so than in the men's game, where elite teams are now much more adept at playing through pressure, perhaps even baiting the press to create space. But at this tournament the number of successful tackles in the final third is actually down 23%. There were 708 high turnovers at Euro 2022 and just 495 so far at Euro 2025. Mis-controls per game are down from 38.1 to 35.2, which suggests an overall rise in technical quality. So where, exactly, are all these extra goals coming from? Dig a little deeper into the data, however, and a more revealing picture emerges. The number of high turnovers may have dropped sharply, but they have become vastly more efficient in generating goals (one in 33, compared with one in 54). The number of errors leading to a shot has more than doubled. All of which indicates that teams are becoming far more surgical, sophisticated and ruthless in their attacking tactics, targeting them in areas of the pitch, phases of the game and perhaps even particular opponents where they will have maximum value. Underpinning all this is perhaps the biggest shift in the last three years: the quality of finishing. The 87 non-penalty goals at Euro 2022 were scored from 98.4 expected goals (xG); the 92 non-penalty goals at Euro 2025 have been scored from an xG of just 84.4. Simply put, teams are getting better at converting from virtually all situations, and arguably better at identifying the situations best suited to their style. Direct one-on-one dribbling has been a particular speciality of France and Sweden, the only teams to generate more than 10% of their shots through this method. Italy have created more shots from dead balls than anyone else. And England remain the undisputed queens of penalty-area chaos, generating almost three shots per game from following up on shots that have just been taken. Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion The broader picture, however, is one with which anyone who has watched the development of women's football over the last few years will be familiar: a sharp rise in attacking quality and tactical sophistication that has not – so far – been matched by a similar rise in defensive skillsets. What, if anything, does any of this tell us about this week's semi-finalists? Perhaps the key lesson is that – heroic German rearguards aside – keeping it tight at the back is less important than being able to generate shots. England, Italy and Germany are only the sixth, seventh and eighth best defences in this tournament. Italy have the fifth lowest average possession, but compensate with their lightning speed of attack. Crossing remains an important tactic, with the eight quarter-finalists all in the tournament top 10 on this measure. In many ways, though, Spain are the unicorn team at this tournament, perhaps even the unicorn team in women's football, the only side reliably able to pass their way out of trouble anywhere on the pitch. Spain aside, the teams who have gone far in this tournament are those who have been prepared to abandon the ground game and go long or direct when necessary. And so increasingly this tournament is boiling down to a battle between two models: the passing game pioneered by Spain, and the more pragmatic style practised by everyone else. There may be many ways to entertain. But ultimately, there will only be one way to win.
Rhyl Journal
40 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Sione Tuipulotu fuelled by ‘chip on shoulder' as he returns to Melbourne
Tuipulotu has touched down in the city where he was born and raised for what he hopes will become a glorious homecoming given a series triumph over Australia is the prize at stake following Saturday's 27-19 victory in the first Test. Six years ago he left for Japan, angry that his time at the Melbourne Rebels had failed to produce international recognition beyond the Junior Wallabies and having taken up an offer to play for Glasgow, he qualified for Scotland through his grandmother. The 28-year-old has never looked back, going on to captain his adopted homeland while becoming one of the game's finest centres. No longer bitter at being rejected by Australia, he realises the scars have served him well. 'If you had asked me when I first moved from Melbourne I would say yeah, it's personal,' Tuipulotu said. 'There's still a chip on my shoulder. What has got me to this point is having that chip on my shoulder. But in terms of me being bitter about Australian rugby, not at all. 'I wasn't good enough to play for the Wallabies when I was in Melbourne. It wasn't a selector problem, I wasn't good enough, that's plain and simple. 'I owe everything to Scottish rugby because they've made me the player that I am today. 'Now I get the chance to go back to Melbourne and play in my home city and hopefully close out a Test series. The stars have aligned for me and I feel very grateful.' Tuipulotu was installed at inside centre ahead of Bundee Aki for the series opener in Brisbane and Andy Farrell's decision was rewarded with the Scotland captain's best performance on tour. Recovery from the damaged pectoral muscle that forced him to miss the Six Nations has proved challenging and it is only now that the hard-running, ball-playing midfielder is finding his stride. A first-half try decorated his evening's work at Suncorp Stadium, which was made easier by the presence of his Scotland team-mates Finn Russell and Huw Jones. 'It was such a huge occasion but having Finn inside me and Huw outside me made it pretty special. I'm so familiar with those boys,' he said. 'I've been rooming with Finn this whole week and being around him made me not overreact to the occasion. Finn 🤝 Sione Sione gets the first try of the match in Brisbane 👊 — Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) July 19, 2025 'It felt like we were playing a Scotland game together because we room together back with Scotland. 'His nature helps everyone and calms everyone. Then you add to that that he's got one of the best skill sets of any 10 in the world and it's a joy to play with. 'Everyone knows what I think about Huw Jones. It just feels like he's bigger and faster than everyone.' The Lions know Australia will throw everything at them at Melbourne Cricket Ground – and intend hitting back hard. 'We expect them to be desperate but not more desperate than us because we're trying to close out a series next Saturday,' Tuipulotu said. 'We were pretty dominant in the first Test but the good thing for us is that it was nowhere near our best performance.'
