Graham Price: My Wales team to play Japan as Sam Costelow should start
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My very first tour with Wales was to Japan back in September of 1974, where we spent a week prior in Hong Kong getting used to the climate and removing jetlag, but it seems this time around they are manufacturing the circumstances from home.
Back in those days, the amateur advice we were given was to do any exercise in our bathrooms with every opening shut and our hot taps on, so it was like a sauna. Hopefully, the advice the new generation are getting is much better as high level professionals. They have certainly been put through their paces by the looks of things.
This tour will be all about fitness as Jones' Japan side will be able to get around the pitch and will be looking to play fast and expansive in this heat to tire and test the Welsh. Eddie Jones will also be wanting revenge as the last time a Welsh side played an Eddie Jones side he was sacked not long after. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby
Looking at the squad that has been announced, 20 players have not yet hit double digits in a Wales jersey, which is an interesting decision by Sherratt considering they are facing a team just one place behind them in the global rankings and are only on a two-match tour. That could lead to some players not featuring at all.
This is too short a tour, in my opinion, given the experience level of the squad is so low. Ideally they would have other matches lined up against club or provincial sides that allow them to acclimatise and build-up a bank of matches ahead of the Tests. When we used to tour against New Zealand we spent nearly four months out there playing national and provincial games.
With this squad likely forming the basis of the Wales squad for at least the next five years or so, it could actually be a good thing the two most influential players whave are with the Lions. Too often Wales have been left relying on Jac Morgan and Tomos Williams to get them out of a rut and, with the injury of Dafydd Jenkins too, Sherratt and his team will have to find new leaders and ideas.
The reshuffling of the squad in comparison to the Six Nations selection is down to players such as Ellis Mee failing to recapture their initial good form for Wales over the past few months, while the likes of Gareth Anscombe and Nick Tompkins are coming to the end of their international careers.
This has given an opportunity to players such as Keelan Giles, Macs Page, and once again to Sam Costelow, who missed out on the Six Nations due to injury. I really do feel that Costelow should be given the start in the first match due to him being the most experienced outside half.
It is a shame that the WRU have failed to appoint a head coach before the tour as it would have been a good chance to get his message into the squad ahead of the autumn and Six Nations campaigns. Another big problem with this is Sherratt may be instilling a different philosophy to the new coach, leading to a conflict of ideas in camp when he does arrive, presumably later this summer.
This tour will no doubt be a difficult one based on climate, experience, availability of key players and the pressure to end 17-game unbeaten streak.
However, if we can control the game at our pace and use Tommy Reffell to give a level of relief at the breakdown by doing what he has been so good at for Leicester, then we will be able to soak up pressure and slow the game down as and when we need to, play at our speed and on our terms rather than theirs.
This can and should result in Wales ending this disastrous losing run in the first Test and leave Eddie Jones scratching his head ahead of the second Test.
My Wales team v Japan
15 - Blair Murray (Scarlets), 14 - Tom Rogers (Scarlets), 13 - Joe Roberts (Scarlets), 12 - Ben Thomas (Cardiff Rugby), 11 - Josh Adams (Cardiff Rugby), 10 - Sam Costelow (Scarlets), 9 - Rhodri Williams (Dragons); 1 - Nicky Smith (Leicester Tigers), 2 - Dewi Lake (Ospreys), 3 - Keiron Assiratti (Cardiff Rugby), 4 - Ben Carter (Dragons), 5 - Teddy Williams (Cardiff Rugby), 6 - Aaron Wainwright (Dragons), 7 - Tommy Reffell (Leicester Tigers), 8 - Taulupe Faletau (Cardiff Rugby)
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