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Prop Gareth Thomas says he is benefitting from working with front-row greats Adam Jones and Gethin Jenkins before Wales’ upcoming Test series in Japan.

Wales flew to Japan on Wednesday as they aim to register their first victory since the 2023 World Cup and end a run of 17 successive Test defeats.

Interim boss Matt Sherratt has brought Jenkins on board as defence coach, with the 129-times capped loose-head recognised as one of Wales’ greatest players.

“We had ‘Bomb’ [Jones] in the Six Nations and he’s been class for us,” said Thomas.

“He’s awesome for the front rowers, he’s bringing scrum time and is just a great bloke to have around as well.

“Gethin is one of the best loose-heads who’s played for Wales, so it’s great for the boys to work with him and use his mindset stuff.

Wales meet Eddie Jones’ Japan in a two-match series, with the first Test in Kitakyushu on 5 July and the second in Kobe on 12 July.

Thomas is one of the most experienced players in the squad and sees similarities with the 2022 tour of South Africa as Wales bid to end their awful run of results.

Wales lost that series 2-1 against the world champions, but won the second Test – their first ever victory on South African soil – having been beaten narrowly by three points in the opening match.

“The last summer tour we had with this kind of block was South Africa, four or five weeks together before we went,” said Thomas.

“We don’t have that opportunity in the autumn and Six Nations to have this time together. So this time has been really good for us.”

Ospreys prop Thomas hopes Wales will gain their first international victory since October 2023.

“We’re all desperate to get that win now and turn the corner,” said Thomas.

“I think there is a talented group here and boys who have been in it for a while and on this losing streak, it does get to you.

“We need it, we are desperate for it.

Much has been made of the conditions awaiting Wales, with extreme heat and humidity expected for two mid-afternoon kick-offs.

Wales’ preparation has included gruelling heat chamber sessions at their training base in the Vale of Glamorgan.

“You go to the well, but I love it – the whole squad in there,” said Thomas.

“The most I have lost is three kilos of fluid and we have to make sure we replace that, because otherwise we would be dehydrated and struggling.

Gareth Southgate added his name to an elite footballing list when the former England manager received his knighthood at Windsor Castle on Wednesday.

The 54-year-old, who stepped down from the England post after almost eight years following defeat by Spain in the Euro 2024 final, was awarded the honour for services to football.

Southgate’s influence, however, stretched beyond the field of play as he became one of football’s most respected figures.

He is only the seventh football manager to be given the honour.

Southgate joins the list of knights that also includes:

On the list of football manager knights, only Winterbottom and Southgate have not won a trophy in their managerial career.

Southgate fell short of being the winner England and the Football Association wanted as they tried to end a barren sequence for the men’s senior team stretching back to the 1966 World Cup triumph.

But along the way, Southgate did much to restore the image of his squad and the game.

England lost successive European Championship finals, to Spain in 2024 and to Italy at Wembley in 2021.

They were also beaten in a World Cup semi-final by Croatia in Moscow in 2018, meaning Southgate’s reign will ultimately be judged as that of a nearly manager of a nearly team.

This may be regarded as a harsh judgement, but reality shows that Southgate could not overcome the obstacles to that elusive England success with a richly talented squad, as well as in circumstances that favoured them, such as against Italy in a home final.

Legacies can be built on the finest of margins, and this was Southgate’s.

In the wider context, however, that record stands comparison to – and indeed improves upon – that of any of his predecessors following Sir Alf’s World Cup win.

The knighthood accolade is reward for the exemplary manner in which he served England and the Football Association on so many levels: as a distinguished full international, coach of the under-21s, then as senior team manager when he succeeded Sam Allardyce, who left after one game, in late 2016.

He inherited chaos and almost turned it into silver.

Southgate not only placed England back on what had become unfamiliar territory by leading them to the latter stages of showpiece tournaments, but he also lightened the load of a shirt that was too heavy for so many before he took charge.

He made players relish playing for England again, making a somewhat unloved national team popular once more, with the peak of that feelgood factor coming between the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the delayed Euro 2020 tournament, which was largely played at home.

Southgate established himself as a mature, measured and civilised leader, who had a hinterland that stretched beyond football, proving priceless in moments when diplomacy was required.

It meant Southgate was comfortable tacking thorny issues that arose during his tenure, such as racism. He stepped forward on a night of shame in Sofia in October 2019, when a Euro 2020 qualifier against Bulgaria, which England won 6-0, was stopped twice after Tyrone Mings and Raheem Sterling were the targets of racist abuse.

Southgate dealt with a hostile Bulgarian inquisition, making his point forcibly but always with the caution that England had problems of its own in this regard and should never believe it was something that only existed elsewhere.

He also accepted the LGBTQI+ community would feel “let down” when England backtracked on wearing the ‘OneLove’ armband at the Qatar World Cup after they were warned captain Harry Kane would receive a yellow card should he do so.

On the pitch, Southgate’s legacy will always be those agonising near misses, with the finger being pointed in his direction for conservative tactics, especially when early leads and domination ended with defeat to Croatia in the World Cup last four, as well as that defeat on penalties to Italy at Wembley.

For someone so often portrayed as “too nice” – something mistaken for his basic decency – Southgate showed steel as a player and again as a manager.

Even before he was appointed as the permanent manager, caretaker boss Southgate effectively signalled the end for Wayne Rooney’s England career by dropping the captain and record goalscorer for a World Cup qualifier in Slovenia before he was eased aside.

Sterling’s time with England ended after the 2022 World Cup, while Jack Grealish was cut from the Euro 2024 squad.

Southgate’s relationship with England’s supporters fluctuated, from the adulation between 2018 and 2021 to the toxicity of a night at Molineux in June 2022 when the personal abuse was such that it had a profound impact on the manager.

England’s Euro 2024 campaign, a somewhat joyless and mediocre affair in which much of the goodwill for Southgate had been diluted, also saw the manager pelted with empty beer cups and jeered by fans after a goalless draw with Slovenia in Cologne.

It was poor payback for what Southgate had given those England fans, only adding to the sense that this was an era drawing to a close, and perhaps the manager would not be sorry to see the back of it.

England flickered fitfully in Germany, reaching the final which ended in the familiar pain of defeat at Spain deservedly won 2-1.

It was a disappointing conclusion, making for a natural end to his time as England manager in which Southgate had made players and supporters dream again.

Once the short-term disappointment eased, it was only right that Southgate should be judged with total respect.

The fight between Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan is expected to take place at Windsor Park, according to Matchroom Boxing’s executive, Frank Smith, who said, “we are moving in the right direction.”

The potential date for what would be the first all-Irish world title fight has been suggested for Saturday, September 13.

The pair’s first meeting took place on March 1st, with an 8,500-person crowd of 8,500 tuning in for what was intended to be the title’s final elimination match between Jaron ‘Boots ‘ Ennis and SSE Arena in Belfast.

When asked about the rematch’s status as a world title, Smith responded, “Any day that should be finalized.”

“That will undoubtedly give the fight a compelling storyline.” This is their chance to demonstrate who deserves to win the title and become a world champion after the first fight ended in controversy.

“Hopefully in the coming days we’ll receive confirmation from the IBF that it’ll be for a full world title.”

Crocker won the first fight after the eighth round when Limerick’s Donovan was thrown out for punching after the bell after twice being deducted points for fouls.

The IBF granted a rematch, which would be a final elimination match, after Donovan’s team appealed.

Smith met with Irish Football Association (IFA) officials in Belfast on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of the rematch taking place at Windsor Park, and he claimed the discussions had been “positive”.

Gordon Lyons, Communities Minister, and the IFA are both understood to be interested in the idea, but Smith acknowledged that financial support from the NI Executive would “help make a decision easier” in terms of bringing the rematch to the Northern Ireland football team’s home.

Carl Frampton won the world title against Kiko Martinez at Titanic Slipways in September 2014, which was a first for the NI Executive.

Smith acknowledged that “stadium fights are very challenging to make economic sense.

It’s about putting on the best show possible, and this fight merits it. Does this make sense financially, then? Not likely. Everyone needs to know that we make business decisions that don’t make economic sense, which is why it’s important to have your support.

“Quite honestly, it would be simple to return the event to the arena, and we know we can sell out right away,” said one organizer. “But we want to do things differently and bring huge events.”

The fight between Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan is expected to take place at Windsor Park, according to Matchroom Boxing’s executive, Frank Smith, who said, “we are moving in the right direction.”

The potential date for what would be the first all-Irish world title fight has been suggested for Saturday, September 13.

The pair’s first meeting took place on March 1st, with an 8,500-person crowd of 8,500 tuning in for what was intended to be the title’s final elimination match between Jaron ‘Boots ‘ Ennis and SSE Arena in Belfast.

When asked about the rematch’s status as a world title, Smith responded, “Any day that should be finalized.”

“That will undoubtedly give the fight a compelling storyline.” This is their chance to demonstrate who deserves to win the title and become a world champion after the first fight ended in controversy.

“Hopefully in the coming days we’ll receive confirmation from the IBF that it’ll be for a full world title.”

Crocker won the first fight after the eighth round when Limerick’s Donovan was thrown out for punching after the bell after twice being deducted points for fouls.

The IBF granted a rematch, which would be a final elimination match, after Donovan’s team appealed.

Smith met with Irish Football Association (IFA) officials in Belfast on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of the rematch taking place at Windsor Park, and he claimed the discussions had been “positive”.

Gordon Lyons, Communities Minister, and the IFA are both understood to be interested in the idea, but Smith acknowledged that financial support from the NI Executive would “help make a decision easier” in terms of bringing the rematch to the Northern Ireland football team’s home.

Carl Frampton won the world title against Kiko Martinez at Titanic Slipways in September 2014, which was a first for the NI Executive.

Smith acknowledged that “stadium fights are very challenging to make economic sense.

It’s about putting on the best show possible, and this fight merits it. Does this make sense financially, then? Not likely. Everyone needs to know that we make business decisions that don’t make economic sense, which is why it’s important to have your support.

“Quite honestly, it would be simple to return the event to the arena, and we know we can sell out right away,” said one organizer. “But we want to do things differently and bring huge events.”