Wales to Reduce Squad for Nations Championship

Wales head coach Steve Tandy announced that he will reduce his squad for the Nations Championship early next week. Tandy observed his team achieve a 33-31 victory over the Barbarians at the Allianz Stadium in an uncapped warm-up match, which precedes three official fixtures against Fiji, Argentina, and South Africa.

Wales is set to face Fiji at the Cardiff City Stadium next Saturday, with subsequent matches planned against the Pumas and the Springboks. Initially, Tandy named a 48-man squad, but injuries to Louie Hennessey, Keiron Assiratti, and Liam Belcher necessitated cuts. Now, Tandy will need to trim at least 11 more players, finalizing a squad size between 32 and 34.

"It'll be done over the next few days," said Tandy. "We'll make sure we get everything through the physios now, see how the boys are and make sure everyone pulls up after the game."

Additionally, Tandy will welcome 13 players from English and French clubs who were unavailable for the Barbarians match due to it falling outside World Rugby's international window. This group includes Exeter lock Dafydd Jenkins, Saracens-bound scrum-half Tomos Williams, props Nicky Smith and Rhys Carre, and Bristol back Louis Rees-Zammit.

"We will see how they are and look back at the game as well because there will be some tight calls to go on tour," added Tandy. "The competition gets a little bit higher, and we've got to continue to do that."

Despite drawing a crowd of under 20,000 in Twickenham, Tandy noted that the outing against the Barbarians served as a valuable experience. He highlighted the debut of uncapped quartet Rhys Barratt, Ben Warren, Harrison Keddie, and Ryan Woodman, alongside the return of Jac Morgan, Teddy Williams, Dillon Lewis, and captain Dewi Lake from long-term injuries.

"Getting the win is great for us, and there’s lots to like about the game," said Tandy, acknowledging some missed opportunities in the first half, yet appreciating the beneficial preparation it offered ahead of facing Fiji.

While the game was uncapped, it marked Tandy's second consecutive win after the Six Nations victory against Italy in March. However, he emphasized that there remains significant room for improvement. "We’ve got to be better," he stated. "We’ve got to keep looking at ourselves because I still don’t think we’re ready yet to be focusing on the bigger outcome. We have to be more consistent right across the board, which this group is fighting tirelessly to do."

In outlining what success in the upcoming Nations Championship tournament will look like, Tandy expressed, "We want to build and be more consistent. If we are seeing more consistency in our performance, I’m going to be very happy, because that’ll be closer to winning games."