The verdict on the risky wales squad that's just raised eyebrows

THERE WERE MORE THAN A FEW UNEXPECTED SELECTIONS IN MATT SHERRATT'S SQUAD 14:24, 20 May 2025Updated 16:14, 20 May 2025 Matt Sherratt's 33-man Wales squad to tour Japan this summer

has raised more than a few eyebrows, with a handful of shock inclusions. The Cardiff boss remains as interim head coach of Wales and is seen as a safe pair of hands by the Welsh Rugby Union,

but there are a fair few gambles in this squad, with players who Warren Gatland did not deem good enough to be top-end international players called in. But, as Gatland always maintained,

selection is a matter of opinion and Sherratt has decided to hand an opportunity to a number of players. In total there are six uncapped players in his squad, with exciting Scarlets back

Macs Page, Ospreys loosehead Garyn Phillips, Dragons tighthead Chris Coleman, Cardiff captain Liam Belcher, Ospreys wing Keelan Giles and scrum-half Reuben Morgan-Williams in line to make

their Test debuts in Japan. You can read the Wales squad in full here. Wales were always going to be without British & Irish Lions pair Jac Morgan and Tomos Williams but they also have a

few players sidelined through injury, with Liam Williams, Owen Watkin, Dafydd Jenkins, Max Llewellyn, Josh Hathaway and Mason Grady out. But Sherratt has looked to put his own stamp on the

squad, with 16 players who were absent from Gatland's initial Six Nations squad included. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind

the scenes in Welsh rugby. A coach involved in the game messaged this writer shortly after the squad was announced with the phrase: "It looks like a club squad not an international

squad." Article continues below But that's just where Welsh rugby is at. Sherratt has opted to reward those who have long been deemed good club players but have never had the

opportunity on the international circuit. Nobody can question whether Cardiff hooker Belcher deserves a cap because he has been consistently excellent at United Rugby Championship level.

Belcher has also acquired a reputation as a strong leader and has won the nod over the more experienced Ryan Elias, who has been playing well for the Scarlets. Ospreys wing Keelan Giles is

another player who has been on the periphery of the Wales squad for quite some time and was an unused replacement against Japan as far back as 2016. Giles was selected in last summer's

squad but did not figure, with Gatland almost going as far as to say he would have selected Cardiff's Theo Cabango instead if he had not picked up a cruel injury on Judgement Day 2024,

a day before the squad was announced. Giles is rapid and knows his way to the try line but there are significant question marks over his aerial ability, as was evident in the Ospreys'

recent defeat to the Sharks in Durban when the 27-year-old failed to deal with numerous high balls, with one even directly leading to a try. Dragons tighthead Coleman has always been

prominent around the park but has never convinced at the set-piece, while powerful loosehead Phillips remains a work in progress, although former Ospreys coach Toby Booth would often

identify the 24-year-old as a future international when asked. With regards Phillips and Coleman, scrum coach Adam Jones and forwards guru Danny Wilson have undoubtedly seen potential in the

pair. JOIN WALESONLINE RUGBY'S WHATSAPP CHANNEL HERE TO GET THE BREAKING NEWS SENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE FOR FREE Morgan-Williams has also been a consistent performer for the Ospreys

in the URC and is a threat with ball in hand, so few can argue he hasn't earnt his opportunity. But there is a big difference between performing well at club level to international

level and the jury is certainly out on a handful of players. One player who is a stellar prospect with a high ceiling is Scarlets centre or wing Page. The 20-year-old is an explosive carrier

with electric footwork and top-end pace. Page is pure X-factor and can create try-scoring opportunities out of nothing. His Scarlets team-mate Johnny Williams has also finally been given a

chance again after falling out of favour with Gatland. Williams is a powerful carrier capable of making significant metres and has been instrumental in the Scarlets' charge to the URC

play-offs. Scarlets backrower Taine Plumtree has been outstanding in recent weeks and deserves a place in the squad, while his captain Josh Macleod is another worthy of international

recognition after a terrific season at URC level. The same can be said of Cardiff pair Cameron Winnett and Alex Mann who are more than worthy of recalls, while the battle between Sam

Costelow and Dan Edwards for the number 10 shirt will be interesting. There are a number of notable absentees with the experienced Gareth Anscombe not included, while Harlequins playmaker

Jarrod Evans, who Sherratt called up to his Six Nations squad almost immediately after getting appointed as head coach, is not included. But one omission above others which will have annoyed

fans is Ospreys backrower Morgan Morse. The 20-year-old is a tremendous prospect - perhaps the best in Wales - and this would have been the perfect opportunity to blood the explosive

backrower. There will undoubtedly be a big onus on the likes of Dewi Lake, Taulupe Faletau, Tommy Reffell, Nicky Smith and Josh Adams to lead an inexperienced side to victory this summer.

Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. Article continues below Japan are no great shakes and are certainly

not of the same quality as the teams which beat South Africa at the 2015 Rugby World Cup or reached the quarter-finals four years later. But Eddie Jones will be rubbing his hands with

excitement and will be quietly confident of extending Wales' misery in Japan this summer.