Ospreys duo aim for special day with Wales

Keelan Giles and Dan Edwards are part of a 33-man Wales squad that travelled to Japan

Summer tour second Test: Japan v Wales

Venue: Noevir (Misaki Park) Stadium, Kobe Date: Saturday, 12 July Kick-off: 06:50 BST

Coverage: Watch live on S4C and BBC iPlayer; listen live on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru & BBC Sounds; text commentary and highlights on BBC Sport website and app.

Ospreys duo Dan Edwards and Keelan Giles will complete Wales firsts on Saturday when they line up against Japan in Kobe.

While you have the noise of Wales' 18-match international losing streak and the off-the-field turmoil that has engulfed the game, Edwards and Giles could provide something positive in the tough days of Welsh rugby.

One is making their first Test start to try and fill the fabled Wales number 10 jersey, while the other is set to win a first cap from the replacements bench, more than nine years after initially being included in a national squad.

Wales are looking to bounce back from the 24-19 loss last weekend with interim head coach Matt Sherratt hoping Edwards, and maybe Giles, can inspire the tourists to level the series.

'Triple threat' Edwards looks for key to unlock Wales number 10

Dan Edwards is a former Wales Under-20s international

Wales are searching for a long-term fly-half successor to the retired Dan Biggar and it could be his namesake from Cwmavon that fills that famous number 10 void.

Edwards, 22, made two replacement appearances against France and Italy under former head coach Warren Gatland during the Six Nations with Cardiff centre Ben Thomas starting at 10 in Paris and Rome.

Wales interim boss Sherratt has used fly-halves Costelow, Gareth Anscombe and Jarrod Evans during his four games in charge but has selected Edwards for the first time.

"He has got some X-factor," said Sherratt.

"He's got a good head on his shoulders, has a great attitude, is decisive and leads the team well.

"He's a triple threat in that he can run, pass and kick. I didn't realise how quick he was until this camp, but over the last couple of weeks, if he's seen a gap, he's got good pace to take it."

Such are the challenges of squad sizes in the Welsh domestic game, teams have to sometimes train against each other because of shortage of numbers.

Sherratt recalls an incident when he took his Cardiff side in a session against Ospreys last season which alerted him to Edwards' qualities.

"It wasn't a live game, we were just practising scenarios against each other," said Sherratt.

"I didn't know Dan, so I said can you kick-off long and right for us. He said, no we're kicking off down the middle this week.

"So I said but we're receiving long and right, so just kick long and right. Then he kicked down the middle!

"It didn't make me laugh at the time, but I did respect it."

Sherratt found the funny side in a conversation with Ospreys head coach Mark Jones.

"After, I laughed because that's exactly what a 10 would do," said Sherratt.

"That's what Dan Biggar or Gareth Anscombe would have done. Instead of being annoyed with him, I genuinely thought afterwards this kid has got something.

"As a 10, you need a bit of spikiness. If your forwards ask you a question, you need to look them in the eye and tell them with absolute certainty. I knew he's got that.

"He's a nice kid, but he's got an opinion and is unflustered."

Waiting game pays dividends for Giles

Keelan Giles made his Ospreys debut in 2016

Giles, 27, could end a nine-year wait for an elusive first cap which started when he was selected as an 18-year-old for the New Zealand tour in 2016.

He was an unused replacement in the narrow victory against Japan in November that year and was also not capped after being included for the trip to play Samoa and Tonga the following summer, when Sherratt was Wales attack coach.

After battling back from significant knee issues and hamstring problems, Giles was picked for the 2024 summer tour of Australia but had to pull out because of injury.

"If there's anybody, same as Liam Belcher last week, who deserves a cap, it's Keelan," said Sherratt.

"He's had tough luck with a few injuries and coming so close.

"He's probably someone who thought his time had come and gone. Hopefully we can get him on the field and get him the cap he deserves."

Sherratt believes Giles has a point of difference Wales need.

"We watched him in training and he was just having X-factor moments," said Sherratt.

"He's got a line break in him. He's just that type of winger. Similar to Blair Murray [Wales full-back] in terms of how he moves, he can change direction quickly.

"If you can get Keelan on diagonals, running against forwards, he's hard to handle."

Replacements bench backs gamble

Sherratt has opted for just two backs on the bench with Giles, who has replaced Scarlets centre Joe Roberts, joined by uncapped Ospreys scrum-half Reuben Morgan-Williams.

Uncapped Scarlets back Macs Page could have covered centre and wing but Sherratt is content with the backline versatility he has picked.

"We just felt it was worth giving Keelan a run off the bench," said Sherratt.

"He's an out-and-out winger but we've got enough cover in the backline to cover elsewhere.

"Josh Adams can cover 13 and 15, Tom Rogers can play 15 and Ben Thomas has played 10 and 15 before.

"If we need a bit of X-factor off the bench, Keelan can provide that."