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It’s been a while since Wales won back-to-back matches.
The World Cup pool stages back in 2023 – in the delightful heat of Bordeaux, Nice, Lyon and Nantes – seem like a fever dream now. A novelty amongst the depressing norm that has become Wales losing more often than not.
But, having broken their three-year duck in the Six Nations with victory against Italy on the final day, the hope will be for Steve Tandy that victories aren’t as sparse as they have been.
Of course, victory over the Barbarians – in an uncapped fixture in London – ultimately means nothing in the grand scheme of things.
But, conversely, you don’t want to be losing these fixtures, either.
Realistically, it’s the next fixture that Wales will be targeting this summer. Fiji at Cardiff City Stadium will be Wales’ best hope of a victory.
Even the most optimistic fan wouldn’t expect victories from the subsequent trips to Argentina and South Africa.
But Fiji on Welsh soil – even if the Pacific Islanders won on their last visit to the city two years ago – is certainly a match that Tandy’s Wales can win.
That’s the lens that you have to view Saturday’s match against the Barbarians through. How best does it prepare them for Fiji?
In that sense, it’s little surprise that, where possible, Tandy hasn’t made changes for the sake of changes when it comes to the side that finished the Six Nations.
Obviously, he’s without a number of English-based players who have joined up with camp late. So there’s no Rhys Carre, Nicky Smith, Dafydd Jenkins, Olly Cracknell, Tomos Williams or Louis Rees-Zammit this weekend.
Alex Mann and James Botham also don’t feature either – with this being the first Wales game under Tandy not to involve the former.
There’s the odd change elsewhere, with Tom Rogers given a first start since that hat-trick against New Zealand.
Perhaps, for the Osprey-bound 27-year-old, this weekend provides a real chance to nail a starting place in Wales’ back-three for when the Test action begins.
Perhaps he would have preferred a shot at full-back, given that is why he’s moving across the Loughor Bridge. But that honour instead goes to Blair Murray.
The elusive Murray could reclaim the full-back jersey on a permanent basis, given Rees-Zammit is now being used as a winger again by Bristol.
A clash with the Barbarians – given it could be fast and loose in places – will certainly suit Murray.
But otherwise, by and large, Tandy is sticking with what he knows as he tries to build more fluency.
In midfield, Joe Hawkins and Eddie James are trusted once again.
Bryn Bradley and Max Llewellyn could be brought in later on in the campaign, but you’d imagine Hawkins and James will be trusted to start against Fiji barring any disasters on the weekend.
There’s few other surprises.
Jac Morgan and Teddy Williams return from injury, while Dillon Lewis – despite a two-year absence from the international game – starts as Wales’ most experienced tighthead.
Perhaps it’s the bench that provides the most interesting selections.
Injuries to certain players mean that Tandy has already been stripped of some decisions to make when it comes to whittling down his squad next week.
Losing Keiron Assiratti and Liam Belcher means that there’s no choice to be made at tighthead and hooker.
But loosehead still needs one – with debutant Rhys Barratt needing to do something fairly special off the bench to sneak past Carre, Smith or Gareth Thomas.
Some of the other debutants are better placed. Obviously, with just three tightheads, Ben Warren will be involved in the Nations Championship.
Ryan Woodman seems a decent bet, too.
Harrison Keddie, having been a surprise call-up, has a chance to lay down a marker before the likes of Mann, Botham, Cracknell and Tommy Reffell – not to forget the uncapped Kane James – all get a look-in.
It’s a tall order for the 2016 U20s Grand Slam winner, but a decent outing off the bench will give him a chance to sticking around into next month.
Elsewhere on the bench, it looks like Reuben Morgan-Williams will get the nod over the recalled Ellis Bevan as Wales’ third choice scrum-half.
Having made his debut in Japan last summer, Morgan-Williams has been used sparingly by Wales – but it would be good to see the Osprey halfback get a few more opportunities, starting with this weekend.
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