Matt sherratt q&a: my toughest call and the player i'm so excited to work with

WALES' STAND-IN COACH HAS NAMED HIS 33-MAN SQUAD FOR JAPAN AS THEY LOOK TO END THEIR 17-TEST WAIT FOR A VICTORY 16:05, 20 May 2025 Wales interim coach Matt Sherratt named his squad to

tour Japan this summer on Tuesday, with six uncapped players making the 33-man group. Cardiff hooker Liam Belcher, Dragons tighthead Chris Coleman, Ospreys loosehead Garyn Phillips, Ospreys

scrum-half Reuben Morgan-Williams, Scarlets back Macs Page and Ospreys wing Keelan Giles are all named, with Dewi Lake leading the side. Here's everything Sherratt - who was confirmed

as interim coach just before the squad announcement - had to say about his selection... WITH THE LACK OF BRITISH & IRISH LIONS CALL-UPS, WAS CONTINUITY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING? "It

was about continuity. Being a Lions year, with two players away and a couple of other experienced players unavailable. It was important to get some experience in the squad. "Probably

big picture-wise, if I’m honest, the development angle should be left to the next guy coming in, in terms of some younger boys he wants to look at. It’s a short tour. It’s trying to get

players who have played a lot for their regions with their experience that was important to this one." Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and

insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. ON THE BACK OF 17 LOSSES, THIS TOUR CAN'T BE JUST ABOUT DEVELOPMENT? "I agree. Probably a big part of doing it when I was asked a

couple of weeks ago was laying a foundation for the next guy coming in. I don’t think it’s our job as coaches to look at the big picture. We’ll be in camp for six or seven weeks. "It’s

just about getting some familiarity there, and with the world rankings and Japan being one place behind, it’s about going there and trying to get a result. That’s part of laying a foundation

for the next guy as well. I would love for the next guy to look at the team and think there’s something to build on and not have that losing record around their neck." WHAT WAS THE

DECISION-MAKING BEHIND THE SIX UNCAPPED PLAYERS? "I think they fall into different brackets. The likes of Reuben and the two props, their club form has dictated they deserve a go. The

likes of Liam Belcher and Keelan Giles, they’ve been consistent regional players for the last six or seven years so they deserve it for those reasons. "I wanted to pick players who had

been playing regularly, starting for their reasons and had earned a cap. And then, in a couple of positions, just some younger boys who may have an exciting future." WHAT ABOUT THE

ABSENTEES? "Dafydd Jenkins has got an injury. He’s having elective surgery in the summer. Adam Beard has got a move coming and he’s got a young family. It’s a mix of players injured or

unavailable through family circumstances. "Max Llewellyn is injured. Jarrod Evans is in the same boat. Mason Grady hasn’t played since the autumn. It’s letting them boys have a break

and a good pre-season so they’re ready to go next year." WHAT WAS THE THINKING BEHIND YOUR NEW COACHING TEAM? "Firstly, going back to Abi’s statement, there’s obviously a big

change happening at the moment with the system. The WRU were pretty clear they wanted to take an interim staff. As soon as they said that, I think it was important, with the limited time,

that we’d worked together before. "I’ve worked with Danny at Cardiff, I work with Gethin now. Gethin and TR have worked together. Adam Jones has played with them. It’s a familiar staff.

Having staff harmony rubs off on the players. It’s important I had people I know and trust." WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE CURRENT COACHES (MIKE FORSHAW, JONATHAN HUMPHREYS, NEIL JENKINS

AND ROB HOWLEY)? "I think that’s for the next coach to make that decision, as well as the top of the WRU. That wasn’t something I was comfortable with getting involved in." DID

YOU CONSIDER NOT TAKING THE ROLE, GIVEN THE UNCERTAINTY CURRENTLY FACING WELSH RUGBY? "I’ll be honest with you, I got on the plane to come home from South Africa and one of the staff

said about a press release. I’ve been in this job long enough, I just concentrate about the rugby. "I’ll let other people who are way above my paygrade worry about the future of the

regions and the national game. I love coaching. I loved the Six Nations and I really enjoy working with the people coming on this tour. That’s my motivation." GIVEN WHAT IT GOING ON OFF

THE FIELD, HOW MUCH OF THIS TOUR WILL BE ABOUT MANAGING PLAYERS THROUGH THAT SITUATION? "Unfortunately, I’ve seen it a couple of times with other clubs. It’s probably bigger news

outside of an environment than it is inside. As soon as you come into a camp, especially an international camp, you are a bit cocooned. "The players are so busy focusing on playing and

training that all the big picture stuff seems to go away. I’m sure in the background, after the tour, that may be an issue. But there was certainly not any rumblings for the day or so in

South Africa when it broke." WHAT'S THE REASON BEHIND GARETH ANSCOMBE'S ABSENCE? "It was more around Dan Edwards, he was obviously involved in the Six Nations. It’s time

to look forward with Dan. Sam Costelow was injured during the Six Nations. The squad is slightly smaller for this trip. So it’s getting Sam up to speed. Ben Thomas can cover 10 as

well." WHAT ABOUT ELLIS MEE? "Ellis is not injured. We’ve decided to go with Josh, Tom Rogers and Keelan Giles. That was probably one of the hardest decisions. I spoke to Dwayne

Peel this morning around some of the rationale around it. I think Ellis is going to be a well-capped international. I just feel we need experience, particularly in the backline. "I know

Keelan isn’t capped, but he’s came on a tour nine years ago with me to Samoa. He’s been in good form and is a regular starter in the URC. I feel his time is right. That was one of the

toughest calls. Ellis has a big future." AND MORGAN MORSE? "On the Morgan Morse one, I actually think he’s going to be a hell of a player. He’s got power, he’s quick and he’s got a

point of difference. In normal circumstances, he may be a player that comes on the plane. I just feel he’s really an out-and-out No. 8. And wih Toby Faletau and Aaron Wainwright coming, is

it time really, with the position Wales are in, to be gambling with that? I’m sure in six months time, Morgan Morse will have an experience. But, at the moment, Faletau and Wainwright have

150 caps between them and we need that experience." HOW DO YOU COPE WITH LOSING LEADERS IN JAC MORGAN AND DAFYDD JENKINS? "We thought about that when we selected. Dewi and Gareth

have captained the Ospreys, Liam’s captained Cardiff, Ben Carter has captained the Dragons, Josh Macleod captains the Scarlets. Around the squad, they’re not all experienced at international

level, but they’ve got a voice and they’ve got an ear of the group. "It’s a pretty even spread from the regions. Between the squad, there’s enough experience there. That was genuinely

a big reason in terms of the selection, trying to get some experienced lads on the tour." GIVEN THIS WILL BE LESS CHAOTIC THAN THE SIX NATIONS, DO YOU VIEW THIS AS A CHANCE TO BUILD UP

PROPERLY AND HAVE A REAL CRACK IN JAPAN? "I just think it’s a really good opportunity to lay a foundation. It’s important to me that our basics are better in Japan. The reality is that

all the coaches are all still coaching or have just finished. We haven’t had a huge amount of time to look at Japan yet, as day-to-day coaching takes up so much of your time. "I think

getting the basics right, we’ll have a good two-and-a-half weeks in camp. There’ll be some new voices in camp, particularly Gethin and Danny. Allowing them to get their stuff across will be

important. When I look at the squad and staff, I’m genuinely excited to spend some time with them." WITH THE SEARCH FOR THE HEAD COACH ONGOING, IS THE SQUAD AND GAMEPLAN FOR THIS SUMMER

ALL DOWN TO YOU? "Yeah, it’ll be my decision and the coaching staff. We’ll meet up as a staff in the next couple of weeks. It’ll just be preparing for two Tests. I think the big

picture needs to be looked at by someone coming in on a long-term contract, not someone coming short-term. This will be about laying a foundation and trying to win a Test match in Japan. The

guy coming in next can build on that." IS THERE MORE EXPECTATION ON YOU NOW COMPARED TO THE SIX NATIONS, WHERE YOU WERE PARACHUTED IN? "I’ll just do my best. I think having a bit

more time and knowing the coaches will help. Speaking to the players, there’s a real desire to go to Japan and prove a point. We’ll do our best to go there, lay a foundation and hopefully

take that losing record away as well." DO YOU SENSE THERE'S A DESIRE AMONGST THE PLAYERS TO END THAT LOSING RECORD? "I don’t know. Probably my thoughts are I wouldn’t focus on

it with the players. It’s got to feel fresh. They’ve got to enjoy coming into camp and how we’re trying to play. If we do those things, we’ll have a chance of winning a game. It’s not going

to be a talking point." WHAT CAN MACS PAGE OFFER? "He’s got a point of difference, hasn’t he? I will credit the regional coaches as well. There’s been a real collaboration with

this. It’s been hard to select as I’ve been trying my hardest to get Cardiff into the play-offs. Danny and Adam are still coaching Harlequins and TR is coaching Gloucester. "When you’re

coaching, all your focus is on your team. I’ve spoken to Mark Jones, Dwayne Peel and Filo a couple of times. They’ve been brilliant and given me some real good advice in terms of their

players. I’ve seen Macs first-hand. But Dwayne Peel was really excited by him. He covers that 13/wing slot so I’m really excited to work with him." ANY THERE LIKELY TO BE ANY MORE

COACHES ADDED TO YOUR TEAM? "At the moment, there’s no one confirmed so not at present." DID YOU LOOK AT BRINGING IN ANY REGIONAL COACHES TO YOUR TEAM? Article continues below

"I did, to be honest. I thought it was important I spoke to the WRU about having some other regional coaches involved. Unfortunately, they were not all able to do it for various

reasons. "They’ve been involved, not directly, with selection. They’ve been more than helpful to me. I phoned them all this morning to give them a heads up, so the boys that weren’t

picked, they can manage and I can give them a hand with that. I will say they’ve been really good with helping out."