Matt Sherratt wants his Wales team to be brave and not “die wondering” against Six Nations title favourites Ireland on Saturday.
Wales begin life after Warren Gatland with Cardiff boss Sherratt taking the reins for three games only – Ireland, Scotland at Murrayfield and then England in Cardiff.
A run of 14 successive Test defeats has contributed heavily to Wales being written off as 25-1 no-hopers by some bookmakers when Triple Crown-chasing Ireland arrive at the Principality Stadium.
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Sherratt has made eight personnel changes from the side beaten 22-15 by Italy – Gatland’s final match – including a Wales debut for Nottingham-born Scarlets wing Ellis Mee.
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“I want the players to be brave. If they see space, I don’t want us to die wondering,” Sherratt said. “If there is an error, there is an error. I can coach that in the week. It is having a system that we stick to.
“I’ve been in the game long enough now, I am not going to just say go out and have a crack, as that gets messy. We have worked really hard in the week on how we find and keep shape.”
Although Wales’ chances have been emphatically dismissed by most pundits, Sherratt has not found it difficult to ignore outside noise. He worked with Wales as backs coach during the 2016-2017 season and he added: “I learnt the first time I did this job.
“I think I was referred to as an unknown little Englishman, so I deleted my social media pretty quickly. I have not looked at anything like that, and I’ve not heard any talk around that in camp. There will be 15 players on the field that are desperate to represent their country. That is all we are focused on, not any chat from outside of camp.
“It is a game of rugby ultimately – a game of rugby with 80,000 people watching it, and a lot more interest – but when you boil it down it is still just the same as a club game.
“It will be faster, there is more pressure, the collisions will be bigger, but that word ‘opportunity’ is the one we used when we were speaking to the players. We don’t want them to get bogged down with everything around the game.”
Gloucester centre Max Llewellyn and outhalf Gareth Anscombe, who were recalled by Sherratt after Gatland left them out of his Six Nations squad, go straight into the starting line-up.
Llewellyn forms a midfield partnership with Ben Thomas, who moves from outhalf, as Wales’ starting centres against Italy – Nick Tompkins and Eddie James – drop out.
Mee, whose mother is from Newport and has made only 10 competitive appearances for the Scarlets since joining from Nottingham last summer, replaces Josh Adams, who has what Sherratt described as “a slight hamstring injury”.
There are widespread changes in the forwards, including a new starting frontrow of Nicky Smith, Elliot Dee and Sale Sharks prop WillGriff John, while lock Dafydd Jenkins returns after illness sidelined him in Rome.
There is also a different role for captain Jac Morgan, who switches from openside flanker to blindside, accommodating a start for Leicester’s Tommy Reffell in the number seven shirt.
Sherratt has had just two main training days to prepare his players, and he said: “I’ve had to keep giving myself a small talking-to about not drowning the players in information.
“There will be bits missing because we’ve only had three training sessions so far. But I have been pretty pleased that we’ve got a framework and the players have some clarity.
“I have told the players that the overwhelming advice I’ve had is to be authentic and enjoy the experience. I said I would give them the same advice.”
WALES (v Ireland): B Murray (Scarlets); T Rogers (Scarlets), M Llewellyn (Gloucester), B Thomas (Cardiff), E Mee (Scarlets); G Anscombe (Gloucester), Tomos Williams (Gloucester); N Smith (Leicester), E Dee (Dragons), W John (Sale Sharks), W Rowlands (Racing 92), D Jenkins (Exeter), J Morgan (Ospreys, capt), T Reffell (Leicester), T Faletau (Cardiff).
Replacements: E Lloyd (Cardiff), G Thomas (Ospreys), H Thomas (Scarlets), Teddy Williams (Cardiff), A Wainwright (Dragons), R Williams (Dragons), J Evans (Harlequins), J Roberts (Scarlets).
