00:00With the Welsh national rugby team set to go on tour in Japan, what needs to be taken from the set of matches in the coming weeks?
00:09Because normally this type of tour would be used for Wales to perhaps give some of their younger talent an opportunity on a big stage.
00:16However, because of the way that the Welsh team has been playing in recent times, you know, on this really poor run of form and losing so many matches in a row,
00:24is it actually the case where some of their bigger players need to get involved and just get some wins on the board?
00:30It sounds strange for such a rugby-loving nation that they just need confidence in wins, but that is the reality of the Welsh national rugby team at present.
00:37And going to Japan, it won't be an easy test going there and playing some of the games that they'll play over in Asia,
00:43but needs must for Wales at the moment. They just need to get wins on the board.
00:47They just need confidence going into the rest of the year because obviously, you know, the Six Nations was dreadful for them.
00:55And obviously all the drama that went on throughout that tournament, not good and not good for the whole setup of Wales rugby at all.
01:02So this is a tour where normally, as I say, you'd like to blood in some of your younger talent, but probably not going to be the case this time.
01:09Let's go now to Charles Hague-Jones, our Wales correspondent in sport.
01:13Charles, what are your thoughts going into this tour? Because of course, as I say, it's not normally an opportunity for Wales to go in and need a win.
01:23Whereas this time they actually have to go and get that, no matter how it comes, and actually make sure that their bigger players are performing.
01:30Yeah, obviously the Welsh rugby union faces a pivotal opportunity during their two-test tour of Japan in July.
01:41Now, obviously, in usual circumstances, these two tests, these sort of tours would be crucial to sort of look at new talents,
01:49look at young players, bring them through, give them some real good experience travelling with the nation's side.
01:54However, due to the incredibly challenging period they're in with the 17 consecutive test defeats,
02:02a drop to 12th in the World Rugby rankings, it's very, very different.
02:06Now, obviously, it coincides with the British and Irish Lions tour, with only two Welsh players have been selected for that.
02:12So that's obviously the lowest selection of Welsh players for that tour post-war era.
02:21So, you know, almost 80 years or so, unbelievable in terms of that.
02:27You know, it just becomes a massive, massive tour, something that the Welsh rugby probably didn't really want it to be.
02:33But it's another chance to sort of go there and breathe a bit of life into the future of Welsh rugby now.
02:39You know, it's no secret they had long-term plans, long-term ambitions to get the nation back to the very, very top.
02:46You know, applying that is becoming what is the real challenge.
02:51Firstly, you know, you've got to look at the managerial situation, you know, departure of Warren Gatland.
02:56Terrible Six Nations campaign, terrible form leading up to it.
02:59Obviously, the terrible record with the test losses as well.
03:04So he went, Matt Sherrick came in.
03:05And obviously a massive task for any manager interim charge to finish off a Six Nations campaign.
03:12And yes, while the main challenges were off the pitch in terms of instilling a bit of belief into the group,
03:18a bit of, you know, understanding and sort of getting them all together, getting them on the same page again.
03:23And a bit of togetherness.
03:24Matt Sherrick did that well.
03:26But there's no denying also that they suffered their biggest ever loss in the Six Nations to their rivals England.
03:32So that was obviously a real negative side of it as well.
03:37So Matt Sherrick is likely to be taking interim charge again.
03:41He, you know, turned down the sort of going permanent with the head coach, Raul.
03:47I think that is understandable for Sherrick.
03:49He's doing a great job at Cardiff Rugby.
03:51And the foundation he has there is very, very strong, you know, in terms of top-tier fitness levels.
03:56And try and get that right from the offset of his tenure.
04:00But a lot to go into, a lot to analyse in terms of their tour of Japan, how they'll go about it.
04:06Obviously, Japan just won below them in the world rankings now, which is unbeknownst to Welsh fans and Wales as a rugby nation.
04:13So any sort of stride to get them anywhere near back to their very best or back to sort of a confident Welsh rugby nation would be a positive that they can take.
04:25But they cannot afford to leave Japan having, you know, really continued this downward trajectory.
04:32So, yeah, it is going to be tough.
04:35It's going to be a bit of a slog at times.
04:37But I think with the right sort of approach towards it, it could go positively.
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