Wales win in Japan must signal start of new era

Wales players finally ended a 644-day run without victory by winning the second Test against Japan

"This has to be the start of something."

That was the impassioned message from Wales interim head coach Matt Sherratt as his side ended a dismal season by securing a first international win in 21 months.

The Welsh rugby men's campaign finished with some success when it had experienced frequent failure during the past 12 months.

The 31-22 victory against Japan in the heat and humidity of Kobe halted an 18-match losing Test run and ensured the Wales class of 2024 and 2025 did not set an unwanted record for a tier one nation of 19 defeats.

This victory will not wipe away the issues engulfing Welsh rugby. There are many matters to be resolved, such as the appointment of a new head coach and sorting out the domestic game.

Wales results in 2024-25

Before you look forward, sometimes you have to reflect. Even if it is painful.

Wales played 10 internationals this season with Warren Gatland and Sherratt in charge for five games each.

They conceded 362 points and scored 177 in those games which included three autumn international defeats and another Six Nations wooden spoon, completed with a record 68-14 home defeat by England in Cardiff.

There were nine successive losses before that final victory in Kobe which at least ensured Wales did not go a full campaign without a win.

2024 Autumn Nations series

Sunday, 10 November, Wales 19-24 Fiji, Cardiff

Sunday, 17 November, Wales 20-52 Australia, Cardiff

Saturday, 23 November, Wales 12-45 South Africa, Cardiff

2025 Six Nations

Friday, 31 January, France 43-0 Wales, Paris

Saturday, 8 February, Italy 22-15 Wales, Rome

Saturday, 22 February, Wales 18-27 Ireland, Cardiff

Saturday, 8 March, Scotland 35-29 Wales, Edinburgh

Saturday, 15 March, Wales 14-68 England, Cardiff

Summer tour

Saturday, 5 July, Japan 24-19 Wales, Kitakyushu

Saturday, 12 July, Japan 22-31 Wales, Kobe

When will the next coach be appointed?

Warren Gatland had two spells as Wales head coach from 2007 to 2019 and from 2022 to 2025

Following a five-month hunt, we are expecting a new permanent coach to be announced soon.

Gatland left in February after the Six Nations defeat by Italy in Rome signalled a 14th successive loss.

When Sherratt was appointed as interim head coach for the rest of the tournament, Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) chief executive Abi Tierney said her phone had not stopped with people interested in the permanent role.

But no appointment was made before the summer tour and Sherratt was again asked to lead the squad to Japan.

New WRU director of rugby Dave Reddin was appointed in April and given responsibility for the head coach recruitment. He has taken over the process and has identified the suitable candidate.

The WRU are believed to favour a more long-term appointment who is familiar with the Welsh game, rather than a short-term proven international coach like a Michael Cheika or Jake White-style figure.

Somebody who can be part of the revamped domestic game and cares about alignment with the professional sides.

Names like Scotland defence coach Steve Tandy, Ireland and Lions man Simon Easterby and former Wales favourite Shaun Edwards have been mentioned.

They would have to give that person time to help rebuild a broken system with the 2031 World Cup in USA a more realistic target of improvement rather than the global tournament in Australia in 2027.

Welsh rugby is not renowned for being patient. That might have to change.

Baptism of fire

It will be a tough start for the new coach with Wales hosting Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa in November in Cardiff.

Wales are currently ranked 12th in the world and need to stay in that top 12 when the draw for the 2027 World Cup is made in December.

What the Wales coaching system also requires is stability and less turnover.

The interim summer coaching team of Sherratt, Danny Wilson, Gethin Jenkins, Adam Jones and Rhys Thomas will all return to their clubs, while Leigh Halfpenny will consider one more season of playing.

Those six men are in addition to Gatland, Rob Howley, Alex King, Mike Forshaw, Jonathan Humphreys and Neil Jenkins, who have all officially been involved in coaching the national men's side this season.

That's 12 coaches that have been used in one season for one team. Some continuity now would be preferable, and maybe even some of the temporary staff in Japan will return in the permanent set-up.

Summer of discontent on the horizon

Scarlets were the highest placed Welsh side in 2024-25, finishing eighth to make the URC play-offs

The Welsh season might have finished on the field but that will not be the end of things.

One win against Japan will be welcomed but will not hide the problems that still exist in Welsh rugby.

The four Welsh professional sides are already back in pre-season training in preparation for 2025-26, but could it be the final campaign of having four professional sides in Wales?

Could fewer teams mean sides leaving the United Rugby Championship (URC) and joining an Anglo-Welsh league?

Some of these questions will be decided in the coming weeks in what promises to be a tumultuous period.

Following Wales' record loss against England in Cardiff in March, former Wales captain Gwyn Jones urged the WRU not to waste a crisis and enact revolutionary change.

What is certain in Welsh rugby is another crisis is just around the corner. One month after Jones' comments came the Cardiff conundrum which has been the catalyst for the latest discontent.

Cardiff went into administration in April with the WRU taking them over.

That accelerated the latest wrangling between the WRU and regions, especially Scarlets and Ospreys, who did not sign the new Professional Rugby Agreement (PRA) about their concerns of the WRU plans for Cardiff.

It resulted in the governing body announcing in May they would no longer fund the four sides equally.

This bombshell raised the prospect of reducing the number of sides in Wales to three or even two.

However, that press release was the last we heard from the WRU, with rumours filling the void and creating more uncertainty in the Welsh game.

One thing that is certain is the opposing sides in this argument remain far apart in their discussions.

The WRU need to outline their case soon because players and coaches need clarity over their futures. Fans need to know what will happen to the teams they support.

There is a general realisation among all parties that something has to happen to arrest the decline.

With financial constraints to factor in, how they get to that final solution is not so clear.

Looking to build the player base

You have to feel sorry for the current crop of Wales players. There is no lack of effort but they are young men learning on the job at the highest level.

That's why the win in Kobe was so welcome. It reflected the reward for their efforts and its meaning was captured by the emotional reaction of captain Dewi Lake.

This squad are following a golden generation of Wales players who enjoyed Grand Slam and Six Nations success and reached two World Cup semi-finals.

The likes of Shane Williams, Alun Wyn Jones, Jamie Roberts, Ken Owens, Dan Biggar, Mike Phillips, Jonathan Davies and Alex Cuthbert can now be seen on your screens as pundits.

Former props Jones and Jenkins are coaching, while Halfpenny, Justin Tipuric, George North, Dan Lydiate and Gareth Davies have retired from international rugby.

Number eight Taulupe Faletau and wing Josh Adams are the last of that crop and among a handful on those who toured Japan who currently fit into the category of proven Test performers.

There will be many in the present squad who could attain that status but it will take time.

These events are sometimes cyclical but Wales are paying the price for the pathway system resting on its laurels during the past decade.

There was little preparation for what would happen when the top stars finished with the development of the next generation stalling and drying up.

Reddin to make his mark

Dave Reddin has previously worked with the Football Association, England Rugby and Team GB

Reddin will have a key role in ensuring that situation never happens again.

You sense he will be a key figure in Welsh rugby's future when he officially starts his job permanently in September.

The legacy of Tierney and WRU chair Richard Collier-Keywood will also be determined on what happens next as they aim to halt the demise.

An end of season victory against Japan can send people into the summer with that little bit of hope. As Sherratt says, this has to represent the start.

So while the end of the season has finally arrived, it also signifies the beginning of a few months that will determine the future of the struggling Welsh game.