Wales’ Unsung Heroes: The Big Test Against Scotland
By: UK Journalist
Wales have named their first unchanged XV since 2019 as Matt Sherratt backed the same 15 players from the Ireland defeat to cause Scotland problems at Murrayfield on Saturday. There’s just two changes to the matchday 23, with front-rowers Dewi Lake and Keiron Assiratti called up onto the bench. Here’s everything Wales’ interim coach had to say after naming his team.
“What was the thinking behind an unchanged XV?” Sherratt explained, “Firstly, I thought the performance was decent. I thought it was as cohesive as we could ask for with the amount of prep time we had. It’s a reward for that, really. Probably across the board, there were some really good performances. I was keen to let them go again.”
Sherratt highlighted the significance of having Dewi Lake back in the matchday squad, stating, “It’s massive. It’s a position of strength actually. We’ve got Evan Lloyd and Sam Parry in the squad too. They can rightly be disappointed not to be selected this week. But Dewi coming back in, he has been captain of his club and country. Very, very good player. Just having him back in training last week, you could see his quality very, very easily. He’ll be massive for us and allow us to finish the game strongly as well.”
The coach shared insights from training sessions, mentioning, “The fallow week was difficult as we only had 13 or 14 lads in. I’d have loved to have that week to continue the growth of the team. But it’s just confirmed what I thought after the first two days. They’re just a very good group, very, very coachable. This week has been a step-up in terms of what we’ve produced on the training field.”
When asked about facing Scotland and being labelled as underdogs, Sherratt expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “I think it’s a level playing field. We go up there to win a game of rugby, take a lot of the good things from last time and try grow our game by five or 10 per cent.”
Regarding the challenge of no longer having an element of surprise in the game plan, Sherratt explained, “The best teams back what they do. We’ll make slight tweaks. Giving the group confidence in what we’re doing is massive. Like most coaches, we’ve got a 90/10 principle. 90 per cent of the week is about us. In terms of the space we’re in at the minute, we’re probably skewing that to 95 per cent about getting our game on the field.”
Sherratt acknowledged the positive atmosphere within the team, mentioning, “I’ve sensed a lot of positivity which has been brilliant for the players. The staff as a whole has been brilliant. A lot of the phase shape has been coached by him. The medics, S&C and analysts have been outstanding. Really supportive to me and got right behind the players.”
In terms of making changes to the matchday 23, Sherratt explained, “He missed the early part of last week but he was fit. Keiron wasn’t fit for Ireland. It’s a tough position to pick. Between the three, it’s a tight call.”
As Wales prepares to face Scotland away from home, Sherratt highlighted the determination of the players, stating, “We’ve talked about celebrating little wins and making our own atmosphere. That’s the challenge of going away from home but it’s one the players are pretty used to.”
In conclusion, Wales’ interim coach expressed his confidence in the team’s ability to maintain their positive momentum and grow further in their upcoming match against Scotland, highlighting the support and dedication present within the squad and coaching staff.