Caretaker coach Sherratt to lead Wales in Japan

Cardiff boss Matt Sherratt will resume as Wales' interim head coach for the two-Test tour of Japan in July.

Wales are searching for a permanent head coach following the departure of Warren Gatland in February.

That process is being led by new director of rugby Dave Reddin but the successor will not be in place for the summer programme, with Sherratt again taking the reins.

Sherratt will be joined in his backroom staff by his Cardiff defence coach Gethin Jenkins, Harlequins duo Danny Wilson (forwards) and Adam Jones (scrum) and Gloucester's Rhys Thomas.

Jonathan Humphreys, Mike Forshaw, Alex King and Rob Howley, who were part of Warren Gatland's backroom staff, will not be involved in Japan.

Wales are expected to add a kicking coach with Leigh Halfpenny linked with the role Neil Jenkins has occupied.

2025 Sherratt was put in charge of Wales after just two matches of the Six Nations following Gatland's departure but lost his three games at the helm against Ireland, Scotland and then England - a record 68-14 defeat in Cardiff.

Jenkins will return to the Wales defence coach role he held under Wayne Pivac before he was deemed surplus to requirements when Gatland returned in December 2022.

"I'm delighted to have the opportunity to return and coach Wales again this summer," said Sherratt.

"It's an exciting prospect to go to Japan for two matches in July. We are all looking forward to getting into camp and starting preparations for our summer campaign."

WRU chief executive Abi Tierney says they are grateful to Sherratt taking over the reins.

"The impact and positive difference he made to the squad in a very short period of time during the Six Nations was welcomed," said Tierney.

"It was a tough campaign but we know we are in safe hands whilst we complete the final stages of our recruitment process for a new permanent head coach."

Former Wales full-back Halfpenny would be involved for the first time as the kicking coach.

The 36-year-old ex-British and Irish Lion has left Harlequins and is expected to continue playing by joining French second division side Beziers next season.

Wales will look to end a record run of successive 17 Test losses in Japan, having not won an international since October 2023 with two successive Six Nations Wooden Spoons.

Wales will play the Test matches against Eddie Jones' Japan side in Kitakyushu and Kobe aiming not to slip from their lowest ever position of 12th in the world rankings.

The first Test, at Kitakyushu's Mikuni World Stadium, will take place on 5 July in the city where Wales held their Rugby World Cup training camp in 2019.

The second Test will be played at Kobe's Noevir Stadium – which features a retractable roof – seven days later.

Wales' men have won 13 of their 14 previous meetings with Japan, with the most recent encounter, in Cardiff in 2016, ending in a 33-30 victory for the home side.

Wales' only loss in this fixture came in the summer of 2013 when they lost 23-8 in Tokyo.