Wales interim head coach Matt Sherratt revealed that his family are “fuming” after their plans were disrupted because of the new job.
Sherratt stepped in during the Six Nations after Warren Gatland was dismissed following defeats to France and Italy, manning the helm for the first time on Saturday at home to Ireland.
Hoards of Welsh fans are expected to travel to Cardiff for the highly-anticipated affair, including many without tickets, as they look to soak up the atmosphere inside the capital.
And that includes many of Sherratt’s friends and family, who were planning to spend the afternoon inside Cardiff’s Arms Park clubhouse.
The architects of their plan were hoping to take advantage of Sherratt’s discount on drinks, ensuring that they would only pay £2 per pint, as head coach of the club.
However, having taken up an interim position with the national team, those ambitions were thrown into jeopardy.
Sherratt explained: “It’s my brother-in-law’s 50th birthday this weekend and I got tickets for everyone to watch the game in the Cardiff clubhouse.
“But since I took the Wales job they are fuming with me and pestering me every day, asking if I can still get the tickets and have I got any free drinks.
« They only wanted to go with me because I get a pint for £2! They are frightened to death they will have to pay £3.50 per pint. I’m not sure they wanted me there for my company or my contacts!”
Unbeknownst to his family, Sherratt has still been able to get them tokens for free drinks on his behalf, adding: « I haven’t told them this, but I have managed to get them some free vouchers.”
Sherratt’s family will watch on as their man makes eight changes from Gatland’s last selection, a defeat to Italy in Rome which likely confined their fate to the wooden spoon.
Having recalled both Gareth Anscombe and Max Llewellyn to the starting XV, Sherratt explained that he wanted to do things “my way” in a hint at a change of style against the reigning Six Nations champions.
« There’s numerous reasons [behind the changes],” Sherratt said. “A couple of little injury doubts. And then probably just in general, my mindset coming in was just to make sure that I enjoy it and I try to do things my way, with the way I think the game should be played. So some of the selections are geared towards that.
« But if there’s one word to describe Ireland, it’s cohesive. They’re a team that’s been together for a very long time. They’re very Leinster-heavy and have mostly come through two schools. The players have a lot of familiarity so I thought it was important to pick a team that had some familiarity, around nine-10-12-13 in particular. I don’t feel playing Ireland is a time to experiment.
« So just having those combinations together, who have got relationships and can talk to each other on the field, pick up each other’s habits, is important. Japan in the summer is the time to blood youngsters. But just personally, I don’t feel Ireland is the time to experiment. »
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