Wales face race against time to prepare for South Africa clash – Matt Sherratt

Matt Sherratt admits much-changed Wales are in a race against time to be fully prepared to take on South Africa.

Wales have lost 13 overseas-based players from their squad for Saturday’s showdown with the world champions because the Cardiff clash falls outside World Rugby’s designated three-week November window.

The extra autumn game was organised by the Welsh Rugby Union in 2018 to boost finances for the domestic game and planned for 2020, but that was postponed because of Covid.

The Principality Stadium contest now takes place after Wales fixtures against Argentina, Japan and New Zealand, and the consequence is that head coach Steve Tandy has lost half-a-dozen starters and several back-up players.

Tandy has called up six players over the last fortnight to bolster his squad, and attack coach Sherratt says the non-window fixture has presented issues for the Wales camp.

Sherratt said: “We try to run the week that the team not selected still gets in plenty of reps.

“On a team run day, myself, Danny (Wilson, forwards coach) and Steve will coach the non-23 as well, so we’re still trying to get our shape and language into them.

“It doesn’t replicate a game so it’s no replacement really, but it’s as much as we can do.

“That’s the challenge for the group, being organised against the Springboks is a must with the pressure they put on your attacking shape and breakdown.

“Over the next two days that’s the challenge, getting a group of players who haven’t played together as cohesive as we can.”

100% record

South Africa have a 100 per cent autumn record with wins over Japan, France, Italy and Ireland.

The Springboks will also have a limited selection because several of their players have returned to English, French and Japanese clubs.

Head coach Rassie Erasmus has also released players back to South African teams in the United Rugby Championship, with world player of the year Malcolm Marx, RG Snyman, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Handre Pollard and Cheslin Kolbe among key personnel absent.

“I don’t feel sorry for them,” said Sherratt. “It’s an opportunity to play against the world champions at our home stadium.

“An opportunity for a group of players to show themselves against the best, and only good can come out of it for us.

“It’s not something we want to go into with any victim mindset because you can come very much unstuck like that.”

Scarlets

Wales trained on Tuesday against a Scarlets squad who have lost six players to international calls for their URC fixture with Glasgow on Saturday.

Scarlets boss Dwayne Peel said: “The fact we’ve got five backs in the (Wales) squad, it’s a bit like, ‘I wish we had those five backs in our big game against Glasgow’.

“But we knew this fixture was coming well before last week. That’s it.”