This post was originally published on this site.
Steve Tandy will name his Wales squad on Tuesday with a handful of places up for grabs
Steve Tandy will officially announce his Wales squad for the Six Nations on Tuesday.
The reality is the Wales head coach will already have had the majority of his squad pencilled in before last weekend’s final round of European pool stage action. But, as with any squad selection, there will always be at least a handful of places up for grabs and there were a few players who may have changed his thinking with some excellent performances over the weekend.
Here are the potential bolters, likely selections and those who are touch-and go-to make the squad.
Potential bolters
James Williams
The 28-year-old has been a consistent performer for Bristol Bears over a number of years and has been dubbed the ‘Roy Keane’ of rugby by Pat Lam.
Williams is a ball-playing centre with a physical edge whose game management is very good, while he has a strong kicking game.
He is in form, but does he offer anything that is significantly different or better than Ben Thomas and Joe Hawkins? That is the key question – but he will surely be in the mix.
Bryn Bradley
The powerhouse Harlequins centre has been outstanding in recent weeks in the English club’s victories over the Stormers and La Rochelle in the Investec Champions Cup.
At 6ft 5in and 16st 10lb, he is a big man. He used his size to good effect against both the Stormers and La Rochelle by carrying extremely well, while regularly making post-contact metres. His offloading game is also an effective weapon in his armoury.
Wales lack players who can regularly cross the gainline and make post contact metres at Test level. Bradley is somebody who could fit the bill in this regard.
Che Hope
The Dragons scrum-half has played a key part in the Men of Gwent’s resurgence over the past couple of months.
Hope could be the long-term successor to Tomos Williams in the Wales number nine shirt. The 23-year-old is a potent attacking weapon and has some serious x-factor, while his passing is also very sharp.
He is the type of player who can wrestle back momentum in his side’s favour with an incisive linebreak out of nowhere. Is he ready to play Test rugby? That will be the main consideration.
Ryan Woodman
The 21-year-old has been a key player for the Dragons this season.
Woodman has been playing in the second-row over the last couple of weeks but, if he is to make it as an international player, it will be at blindside flanker.
He is an outstanding lineout forward with the right blend of athleticism and physicality. It is a matter of when, not if, the former Wales U20s captain wins his first senior cap.
Kane James
The 20-year-old Exeter Chiefs backrower qualifies for Wales, England and New Zealand, so Tandy needs to get in there quickly.
James is one of the finest prospects in the English game and is an explosive carrier with a strong all-round skillset. But he injured his ankle in Exeter’s victory over Cardiff on Sunday, so it remains to be seen if he will be fit for selection – assuming he wants to play for Wales.
Returning player
There are a number of players who were not included in the autumn squad who may have forced their way into contention.
Given Wales’ struggles up front, Scarlets lock Jake Ball could come into the equation. At 34, Ball is at the tail end of his career but could offer Wales some much-needed grunt and physicality in the tight five. However, the Scarlets lock left the field with a head injury during his side’s defeat to Northampton Saints on Sunday.
Ross Moriarty is another veteran who must surely be back in contention. Prior to Saturday night’s defeat to Montpellier, the Ospreys backrower has been sidelined for a few weeks with a stomach bug. But he was excellent against the French side and is another who could add a harder edge to the backrow.
With Jac Morgan out injured, Wales are in need of a breakdown specialist at seven but it remains to be seen whether Tandy turns to Tommy Reffell. The 26-year-old was a shock omission from the autumn squad but Wales struggled at the breakdown in his absence.
Reffell is up against the likes of Harri Deaves and Scarlets captain Josh Macleod for the number seven shirt.
Ryan Elias is another player who could add some much needed size and physicality. The Scarlets hooker was sidelined in the autumn by injury, but has been playing well for the Scarlets.
Another Scarlet who could come back into contention is outside-half Sam Costelow, who was excellent against Northampton Saints on Sunday. One of Jarrod Evans or Callum Sheedy would realistically have to make way for Costelow, with Dan Edwards currently the clear first choice.
With Max Llewellyn currently sidelined, powerful Scarlets centre Eddie James is likely to get called back into the squad after a fine performance against Northampton.
In the back-three, Ellis Mee is asking some serious questions and was the standout Scarlets player against Northampton. His aerial prowess – an area where Tandy’s side struggled badly in the autumn – is something Wales are in need of.
He splits opinions but Mason Grady is a likely selection, given how genetically gifted the Cardiff wing is. Grady is a powerhouse with explosive speed and power. If used correctly he could be a destructive weapon for Wales moving forward.
If Mee and Grady are selected, then Blair Murray or Josh Adams may miss out.
Who is nailed-on and who faces a nervous wait
In reality, the majority of the squad picks itself.
In the front-row, Rhys Carré, Nicky Smith, Dewi Lake, Keiron Assiratti and Archie Griffin are nailed on. It will be interesting to see if Tomas Francis is selected after declaring he still wants to play for Wales when announced as a new signing for Sale Sharks.
Tighthead prop is an area of weakness for Wales, so it would be no surprise if Tandy was keen to select the 33-year-old, but the word on the street is Francis has an agreement not to play Test rugby while contracted to Provence in the French PRO D2.
Adam Beard and Dafydd Jenkins are nailed on at lock, while Freddie Thomas, Rhys Davies and Ben Carter are likely selections.
In the back-row, Aaron Wainwright is virtually guaranteed a place while Alex Mann is a likely selection after a strong autumn campaign. The likes of Taine Plumtree, Kane James, Morgan Morse, Josh Macleod, Harri Deaves, James Botham and Ryan Woodman will also be considered.
At scrum-half, Tomos Williams and Kieran Hardy are nailed on but the third number nine spot is likely to be between Reuben Morgan-Williams and Che Hope.
When it comes to the midfield, both Ben Thomas and Joe Hawkins are in the driving seat, but there are places up for grabs. Louie Hennessey, Bryn Bradley, Eddie James, Owen Watkin and James Williams are all contenders.
In the back-three, Louis Rees-Zammit is one of the first names on the team sheet while Tom Rogers is a likely selection. Jacob Beetham and Cam Winnett will be in the mix at full-back.
Possible Wales squad:
Back-three: Louis Rees-Zammit, Tom Rogers, Ellis Mee, Blair Murray, Mason Grady, Rio Dyer.
Centres: Owen Watkin, Ben Thomas, Joe Hawkins, Eddie James, James Williams.
Outside-halves: Dan Edwards, Jarrod Evans, Sam Costelow.
Scrum-halves: Tomos Williams, Kieran Hardy, Che Hope.
Backrow: Tommy Reffell, Alex Mann, Taulupe Faletau, Aaron Wainwright, Morgan Morse, Ross Moriarty, Kane James, Olly Cracknell
Second-rows: Dafydd Jenkins, Adam Beard, Freddie Thomas, Rhys Davies, Jake Ball.
Front-row: Rhys Carré, Nicky Smith, Gareth Thomas, Keiron Assiratti, Archie Griffin, Henry Thomas, Dewi Lake (captain), Ryan Elias, Liam Belcher.
Follow all of our channels to ensure you stay up to date with the latest Welsh rugby news. Sign up to our free daily newsletter here and our WhatsApp channel here for all the breaking news.
