Tom Shanklin Wales centre

I've never had a coach screaming in my face before, but do you know something? It's great!

That's part of life under the new Wales coaching regime. Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards are blunt, direct and say it as it is. They don't beat about the bush - they see it and say it straight away.

I could repeat some of the choice words Shaun has used, but perhaps swearing is not the way to go in this column

I could repeat some of the choice words Shaun has used, but perhaps swearing is not the way to go in this column.

Their approach may offend some people, but they said at the start they are not trying to do that or pick on anyone - they are trying to help.

That's their coaching style and it's great. They are probably trying to make us feel that as they take no prisoners off the field, we should take none on it and it's really good.

The approach is not something I've had before - someone screaming at my face, telling me as it is.

But that's how Shaun gets his point across. It's his coaching style and I think it's a great coaching style and hopefully people could see the effect he, Warren and the rest of the coaches had on the team last weekend at Twickenham.

The approach is no nonsense and I suspect it must be quite hard for the media to interview Shaun. But that's just the way he is and the boys respect that.

As for my own places in the scheme of things, having come off the bench on Saturday the one thing that might help me keep the number 13 jersey for the game against Italy would be a man-of-the-match performance against Scotland!

That is very important to me because if I play in the next two games, I'll reach my 50th cap. The coaches have shown that if anyone doesn't come up to their expectations they're out of the following game.

I don't want to be hanging on to make the half century and I'd prefer not to come off the bench if and when I reach that mark - I'd much rather be in the starting line-up on what would be such a memorable occasion.

As for now, it's great to be back in the team. I was pretty happy when the team was announced. I wasn't really sure whether they were going to keep the same team or what they were going to do - make changes or whatever.

I was probably a little bit surprised, but I'm very happy. I was pretty disappointed not be in the starting line-up against England. I was still involved and had been in that position at the beginning and in the middle of my career of coming off the bench.

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It's something I've been used to and it's just a matter of biding your time and taking your chance when you get it.

But while I'm now hoping to reach that 50-cap landmark, Jamie Roberts is preparing for his debut against Scotland. As a regular team-mate of his I can tell you he is going to be very good. Actually he's already very good, but he's just going to grow as a player.

He's a big guy. He's 6ft 4in, carries the ball very well and always seems to beat the first man in attack. He's played mostly for us on the wing, but he is more of a natural full-back and is one for the future.

It brings us a new perspective to have a player like that in the back three. He gives us another ball-carrying option and another option to get across the gain-line - and it's nice to see a couple more Blues in the back line!

As a team the task for us now is to ensure we don't allow the potential for taking a backward step to bear fruit. We're on a high, but know we have a huge task ahead against Scotland because their performance against France is just going to motivate them against us.

There's no hint of anyone's feet being off the floor. We're done with what happened at Twickenham and now it's about Scotland. They played poorly, but there were good odds at the bookies for them to win that one.

They are going to be very disappointed after their performance against France and we know from having bad losses that the next game is the most important to put things right so we've got to be very wary of Scotland.

But we expect there will be a great atmosphere at the stadium. Good teams win away from home and should really always win their home games, but we can't take anything for granted in this tournament.

*Tom Shanklin was speaking to BBC Sport Interactive's Gareth Roberts