Can Wales near return to their best after ending record losing test Rugby streak?

Local TV Sport

Wales’ long-awaited victory ends a record losing streak and offers hope of revival. Though far from their peak, the win could restore belief in The WRU’s rebuild. Young talents are gaining vital experience, and the team showed renewed resilience.  Challenges remain, but this result may signal a turning point as Wales aim to recapture the intensity and identity of their past successful eras.

Transcript

00:00Well, for the Wales men's national rugby team, their losing streak in international rugby

00:06has finally come to an end against Japan.

00:11One of the most embarrassing losing streaks perhaps in all of world rugby has come to

00:15an end with this victory for Wales.

00:16It was such a poor period for the Welsh men's rugby team.

00:21Obviously, Wales as a nation are such a nation of rugby lovers, especially with their men's

00:25team.

00:26And for this record to be continuing on and on and on, going through, of course, the

00:29Six Nations up to now with this tour in Japan, it was just such a case of national embarrassment,

00:36I think.

00:37The fact that this rugby-proud nation just couldn't seem to buy a win from anywhere.

00:41And yet, finally, one has arrived.

00:44And now it's a case of where do they go from here?

00:46How do they keep this belief in this momentum and change the momentum, in fact, using this

00:52win?

00:53And let's go now to our Wales sport correspondent, Charles Higg Jones.

00:56Charles, I'm presuming, first of all, it's just a case of utter relief for Wales.

01:01But that will swiftly die away.

01:03And after that, I'm sure it's a case of building as quickly as possible on this victory.

01:07They can't just let it be a solitary, lone victory.

01:10They have to make sure that they use it to the best of their abilities to build on and

01:13lay foundations for the future of Welsh rugby as a whole.

01:16This is not just one small matter.

01:19It's the fact that they have to completely reset Welsh rugby and ultimately get themselves

01:24back on their feet and go again as a rugby-loving nation.

01:29So what do you think?

01:30How do they progress from this?

01:31But also, just how overwhelming will their relief currently be?

01:35Yeah, obviously, the overriding factor is huge relief for Matt Sheridan and the nation as

01:44a whole.

01:46You know, 644 days, brutal 18-test match losing run is over.

01:53However, the worst streak for any Tier 1 nation, I mean, it's obviously been reiterated time

01:58and time again in those near 650 days that, you know, how important this was and how different

02:05this was for Wales.

02:06We mentioned a number of times before how strong they've always been as a rugby nation, as one

02:11of the top sides in the world.

02:14And this fall-off has been incredibly dramatic.

02:16And, you know, to touch on the sort of WRU, the position they're in, dealing with the club

02:21situation at the moment as well.

02:23It sort of never really helped.

02:25It was looking at it, one bad thing on top of another on another.

02:29And then that's all happening off the pitch.

02:31It's incredibly tough to then turn something into something positive on the pitch.

02:37And they clearly suffered for that.

02:39I mean, Matt Sheridan, obviously, was hired mid-Six Nations.

02:43He focused on the basics, like defence kicking and contact.

02:47And it has to say it paid off in Japan in that second test in Kobe.

02:51But, you know, you have to give Matt Sheridan some huge credit here.

02:56He came in to a Wales side on the back of Warren Gatnan's, you know, tenure that really fizzled

03:01out dramatically.

03:03Took over halfway through his Six Nations, an incredibly tough one.

03:06And, you know, suffered the record loss to England at home as well for a Welsh nation.

03:11So the sort of the records that were deemed negative were just adding up for Wales.

03:18So how do you stay positive amongst all that?

03:21But if you look at Matt Sheridan, if you look at the way he goes about things and his press

03:25conferences, his attitude towards it all was always still remaining so positive, which

03:30was great to see.

03:31He really wanted to focus on bringing young players through and making a massive impact

03:35on their future careers as well.

03:37So huge credit to Matt Sheridan.

03:39Look, he's, you know, as I say, inherited a massive group, a huge pressurised situation.

03:44And yes, the results still didn't improve massively.

03:47But the belief just seems to possibly be creeping in.

03:52And they've finally got over that line with ending the drought.

03:55I mean, 31-22 in terms of on the pitch.

03:59That was the score.

04:01Kieran Hardy with two tries.

04:03Dan Edwards was 25 points with a key to the turnaround.

04:07I mean, players like Josh Adams, Josh McLeod, Aaron Wainwright's impressed as well.

04:11They showcase fight and belief.

04:13And this is something that does come from playing for Wales.

04:16It's always been that sort of hard work, the emotional structure that you have to have to

04:22go and get these wins.

04:25That's on the pitch with the players as well.

04:27And hopefully they can get back to their very best because the World Cup is fast approaching

04:32and Wales really want to be in the mix.

04:34They want to improve their world rugby ranking to make sure they give themselves the best chance

04:39of performing once again on the world stage.

Category

Transcript

Recommended