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Steve Tandy has a lot to ponder ahead of Wales’ Six Nations squad announcement next week
Wales head coach Steve Tandy will name his squad for the upcoming Six Nations next week.
Over the coming days, Tandy and his backroom staff will sit down to put the final pieces of the selection jigsaw together. In reality the majority of his squad will already be set in stone but there will be at least a handful of calls which could be swayed by the final round of the pool stages of both the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup this weekend.
Here are the four key selection calls Tandy will need to make.
Bristol’s ‘Roy Keane’ knocking on the door
Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam has been effusive in his praise of centre James Williams who he has described as the Roy Keane of his side due to his no-nonsense approach and leadership qualities.
The Gallagher Prem high-flyers are renowned for their high-risk and expansive brand of rugby but Williams is the glue of that team.
“There’s probably more talented players, without a doubt, but one thing I’ll back Jimmy on is he will compete and fight for everything,” Lam told WalesOnline’s Welsh Rugby Podcast, which you can listen to here.
“He’s probably like the Roy Keane of our team attitude wise. He won’t give in and he’ll fight for everything.
“My twelves are really important. They need to be able to play 10, drive the game and have second eyes.
“He’s another reject who was playing in the Championship. He was at Sale but got let go there and went to Hartpury.
“I saw him when we played them in pre-season and I thought who is this guy? They almost beat us and he was the one driving it.
“But I watched him closely and the way he controlled everything, so I offered him a contract. He’s taken that opportunity very well.”
When push comes to shove if there is a player starting week-in week-out for a side sitting in the top four of the Gallagher Prem that is Welsh-qualified, he needs to be seriously considered for national squad selection.
While Williams is a solid player who is abrasive and tough in defence he is also a talented footballer with an excellent distribution game who can also kick well both out of hand and at goal.
But Wales do have plenty of talent in midfield with the likes of Eddie James, Owen Watkin, Ben Thomas, Joe Hawkins, Nick Tompkins and Louie Hennessey, among others, they just haven’t found the right combination yet.
Is Williams significantly better than anyone in that list? That’s the question Tandy will be considering.
Also, players based in England will miss the training camp leading into the Six Nations while they also have to return to their club during the fallow week and if they are not selected in the matchday squad.
For Williams to be selected he probably has to have a point of difference that the other options don’t have or is significantly better in all aspects.
A return to the old guard or fresh blood?
When Tandy was first appointed he made it very clear this was a long-term project, with ensuring Wales are competitive at the 2027 Rugby World Cup his main focus.
Since the last World Cup Wales have lost significant experience, with a new batch of young players thrown into the international arena with limited experience of professional rugby, let alone Test rugby.
The reality is the majority of this new breed are playing for professional clubs in Wales who are not equipped well-enough to compete in the cutting edge of competitions.
Many players do not know what it actually feels like to achieve real success with regards latter stage participation and competing for silverware.
There is a strong argument Tandy should recall some of the old guard who have resurfaced in Wales over the past six months.
He resisted this temptation in the autumn but Jake Ball and Ross Moriarty have been playing well for the Scarlets and Ospreys, respectively.
Ball is 34 but is in good shape and has been playing well in a struggling Scarlets side since making the shock decision to reverse his decision to retire.
The 50-cap international is a powerful figure who adds grunt, physicality and a nasty edge to the pack, while according to those who have played with him is also very good for a team’s culture.
Over the other side of the Loughor Bridge the 54-cap Moriarty is only 31.
The Ospreys have had to manage Moriarty’s game time carefully but he has been one of their standout out players when on the field and the backrower’s no-nonsense physical approach has been missing in this Wales pack.
But Tandy may want to give younger players an opportunity, with the likes of Dragons backrower Ryan Woodman standing out over the past month, while uncapped Exeter Chiefs man Kane James could be a bolter.
At lock, including Ball could mean the likes of Ben Carter or James Fender missing out.
But there is a strong argument Wales are lacking such experience to guide certain players in this squad.
In reality the question to ask is whether both Ball and Moriarty can still cope with the pace and intensity of international rugby rather than if they are too old.
Will he call up England U20s tyro or other potential bolters?
I have pushed hard for Tandy to include England U20s backrower Kane James in recent months. He offers something different to the other backrow options.
The 20-year-old isn’t the biggest but is technically very good and is an explosive carrier with a very good all-round skillset.
On top of this Wales need as many quality players as they can get, while they also do not want to lose a player born this side of the Severn Bridge to England at senior level.
James has to be considered a bolter for the squad but there are also other Welsh-qualified players who fall into this category.
In the long-run, Canterbury Crusaders lock Tahlor Cahill is a target but the Six Nations is too early given he has a contract in New Zealand.
Is selecting experienced tighthead Tomas Francis out of the question considering he is expected to sign for Sale Sharks ahead of next season?
Tighthead prop is a weakness and is an area Wales need to strengthen.
Will there be a return for Leicester Tigers fetcher?
Tandy’s decision not to select Leicester Tigers openside Tommy Reffell in his autumn squad raised more than a few eyebrows. Wales are short of top-end Test players and Reffell is someone who has proven he can perform at the highest level.
The 26-year-old is one of the best exponents of the breakdown in the Gallagher Prem and was outstanding for Leicester in their Champions Cup victory over Bayonne last Saturday.
Following the injury to Jac Morgan Wales struggled at the breakdown for the remainder of the autumn, with the game against the All Blacks crying out for a fetcher like Reffell.
But openside flanker is one position where Wales aren’t short of options.
Scarlets captain Josh Macleod is back fit and is also someone who excels at winning turnovers and slowing down the speed of the opposition’s ruck ball but he is unproven at Test level.
There is also Harri Deaves who has been outstanding for the Ospreys but there remain question marks surrounding his size at the very highest level which will need to be taken into consideration considering Wales are taking on two of the biggest packs in world rugby in England and France over the opening two rounds of the Six Nations.
Since making his Test debut against South Africa in 2022 Reffell has made an impact at the breakdown against some of the strongest pack in the world.
There are some who believe he is a little bit limited in certain aspects of the game but he has a big point of difference and can physically hold his own against the stronger packs.
But he is also based outside of Wales which is a factor because Tandy needs to find the right balance between selecting players based at the four professional clubs – Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets – and those based in England or France.
