Matt Sherratt will resume interim head coach duty for Wales’ two-Test Japan tour in July.
Cardiff boss Sherratt took charge for Wales’ final three Six Nations games this season after Warren Gatland left following defeat against Italy in Rome.
Wales ended their Six Nations campaign with a record 68-14 home loss to England and have suffered 17-successive Test defeats that started with a 2023 World Cup quarter-final reversal against Argentina.
🚨 🏴 𝘾𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙢𝙚𝙙 🇯🇵
— Welsh Rugby Union 🏴 (@WelshRugbyUnion) May 20, 2025
Matt Sherratt will resume the head coach role on an interim basis.
Joining Sherratt in the coaching team this summer are Gethin Jenkins, Adam Jones, T. Rhys Thomas & Danny Wilson 🤝
➡️ https://t.co/hT7mF4E8ub pic.twitter.com/lnAKF7L1Tm
Sherratt, though, will have a new team of assistant coaches alongside him for appointments with Japan in Kitakyushu on July 5 and Kobe seven days later.
Jonathan Humphreys and Mike Forshaw, who were part of Gatland’s coaching staff throughout his second spell in charge, will not be involved this summer.
Harlequins head coach Danny Wilson and the Premiership club’s scrum specialist Adam Jones will join Sherratt on the tour, in addition to Gloucester’s TR Thomas and former Wales prop Gethin Jenkins.
Jones and Thomas worked alongside Sherratt during the Six Nations and – together with interim forwards coach Wilson – are on secondment from their Premiership clubs. Defence coach Jenkins, meanwhile, is on secondment from Cardiff.
Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Abi Tierney said: “We are very grateful to Matt for agreeing to pick up the reins again with the Wales senior men’s side on an interim basis for the Japan tour.
“The impact and positive difference he made to the squad in a very short period of time during the Six Nations was welcomed.
“It was a tough campaign, but we know we are in safe hands while we complete the final stages of our recruitment process for a new permanent head coach.”
Sherratt added: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to return and coach Wales again this summer. It is 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.”
