Japan v Wales: Questionnaire sends message as Matt Sherratt eyes end to losing run

Sherratt sent out a questionnaire to the 33-man squad he picked to assess their mood going into the Japan trip.

“It wasn’t anything wordy, just three questions,” said Sherratt.

“What motivates you to play, what do you want to get out of the trip and what are you going to bring?

“Literally every one was ‘I play for my family, I want to enjoy the trip and I want to win for Wales’. So we’ve built everything around that.”

Sherratt says the results of the questionnaire conveyed a powerful message.

“It just hit home we’re all doing it for the same reason,” he added.

“Rather than think about the baggage around playing for Wales and the win/loss ratio at the moment, let’s just strip it back and go there for the right reasons in terms of why we all want to be there.

“That’s how we’ve themed the tour, we’ve just stuck to those three things. Make sure we enjoy it, remember why we’re doing it and it’s important we start laying some foundations.”

Sherratt wants victory in Japan so Wales’ new permanent head coach is not burdened by the record losing run.

As it stands, Wales havenot won an international since October 2023.

“I’d love the next guy to come in and no-one’s talking about the 17,” said Sherratt.

“I’d love to do that for whoever comes in.”