Wales are preparing for the familiar feeling of playing under a roof this Saturday, although it will feel quite different to the Principality Stadium
Wales will be playing under the roof in their second Test against Japan, as Brave Blossoms coach Eddie Jones bristled at questions over the playing conditions – remarking it was “quite ironic” to be talking about roofs when playing the Welsh.
Having dealt with the extreme heat in Kitakyushu, with much of the pitch at Mikuni World Stadium bathed in sunshine, this Saturday will be a little different at Noevir Stadium for Wales in terms of heat. While there won’t be any direct sunlight on them, the roof could end up only serving to increase the temperature in the stadium – with another mid-afternoon kick-off time.
Those in Wales camp are understood to have conflicting feelings when it comes to how much the roof affects the temperature within the ground.
And they won’t be able to see the stadium until Friday’s captain’s run to find out for themselves. There is a breadcrumb of familiarity, with Wales themselves often playing under a roof at the Principality Stadium.
Wales interim head coach Matt Sherratt noted that, just as will likely be the case on Saturday, the ball does tend to become more greasy when the roof is closed in Cardiff.
But rarely do temperatures in Cardiff reach those of Kobe, with Wales training in 36°C heat on Thursday.
WalesOnline understands, having spoken to people who have been under the roof in Kobe, that the cooling methods within the ground are almost negligible once you’re running about under the roof.
So while the Welsh players might not have the sun on their backs, it’s unlikely to get any easier in terms of the conditions.
“I don’t know yet,” said Wales captain Dewi Lake when asked if he was happy to be playing under a closed roof. “There is probably going to be a different type of heat being inside a closed stadium. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack for the exclusive five-week tour diary from Japan and Australia.
“I know in the Principality when the roof is closed it gets sticky and dewey so with the heat over here I am not sure if that will be good or bad.
“I know there will be no sun and it will be in shade but sometimes the ball gets a bit wetter. We won’t make any excuses for the weather or the surroundings, we will make sure we get our things right.”
He added: “The heat is tough but it’s the same for both teams. Last week we tried to find shade wherever possible and huddled in groups.
“If we were behind the posts or had just scored groups were in shaded areas. We tried our best to stay out the heat and sun as much as possible.
“I don’t think there is getting any used to it, it’s just about dealing with it. After two weeks we are probably better than we were at the start and we will be fine at the weekend.”
Former England coach Jones has already faced questions over the kick-off times of the Tests, with the 65-year-old having been adamant about playing them in the afternoon.
Whether Jones had any say in the roof being closed this weekend is unclear, but he bristled when asked about the roof situation.
“It’s quite ironic talking about roofs when you’re playing against Wales,” said Jones. “I’ll probably leave it there, mate.
“Having known the the goings on when you go there with England, whether it’s going to be open or closed, going to rain, is it not going to rain? All those machinations are the same in every country in the world.
“When we go up and play in the northern hemisphere, no one turns the heating on. These are the conditions in Japan. It’s the same for both teams.
“That’s one of the great things of rugby. We have these different conditions and you need to adapt to the conditions.”
Wales have continually said that the heat and humidity in Japan is not an excuse, although Sherratt did admit that it has affected them perhaps more than they have let on publicly.
“The heat is tough,” said Sherratt. “There is no getting away from that. It has not surprised me, it’s just reinforced what I was told before I came out here.
“We are not used to playing in it. Today was probably the hottest it’s been about 35°C or 36°C.
“Without making excuses, this is a very new group. We have a new forwards coach who has to install lineouts and Gethin has come into the defence.
“I have hade three weeks and there is so much work to put in. We are almost starting from scratch but we can’t spend three hours in 36C heat so we actually cut today’s session slightly short if the players do not have energy it doesn’t matter how they know tactically or technically, they are not going to have the legs to deliver it.”
