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Steve Tandy’s side kick off their Six Nations campaign away to England next month
Welsh greats Shane Williams and Tom Shanklin have named the starting teams they would choose to face England in Wales’ Six Nations opener at Allianz Stadium next month.
Steve Tandy faces a daunting task in his first Six Nations match as Wales head coach, with Steve Borthwick’s side viewed by many as potential tournament winners. The last time the two sides met was one of the darkest days in Welsh rugby history, as the hosts in Cardiff were torn apart by England, who inflicted a record 68-14 defeat as they finished as runners-up.
As a result, Wales will arrive at Twickenham on February 7 having been widely written off, but there is hope that, following an autumn campaign which saw some green shoots emerge, they can deliver a much better performance against their old enemy under Tandy.
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Tasked with picking the side they would start against England while on punditry duty for Premier Sports’ coverage of Cardiff v Benetton on Saturday night, Shanklin and Williams made similar selections to each other, only differing on a couple of positions.
Starting with the forwards, both former internationals want to see the returning Tomas Francis put straight back into the starting side at the first time of asking. The 77-cap tighthead hasn’t played for Wales since the 2023 Rugby World Cup having chosen to prioritise spending time with his family in France, but is now back in the international fold aged 33 after agreeing a move to Sale Sharks.
Francis starts in the front row alongside Dewi Lake and Nicky Smith for both Shanklin and Williams, who also both selected Adam Beard and Dafydd Jenkins in the engine room.
The only differences between the two selected packs come in the back row, with Shanklin opting for Scarlets skipper Josh Macleod at openside and Williams going for Ospreys star Harri Deaves. In Shanklin’s team, Aaron Wainwright is given the six jersey, with Olly Cracknell at number eight, while Williams has them the other way around.
“I’ve gone for Josh Macleod because I think he’s probably the out-and-out seven,” said Shanklin as he discussed his picks with host Lauren Salter. “I think you need one specialist there and he’s been playing really well. I’ve gone for bulk in Cracknell and Wainwright, the other two back rows.”
Meanwhile, Williams said: “I’ve got Harri Deaves at seven, I just think he’s an old-school seven, roll your sleeves up, roll your socks down kind of player. He adds a little bit of X-factor, pops up on the wing and I just like the cut of his jib.”
As for the backs, both men agreed on the half-back partnership of Tomos Williams and Dan Edwards, with Ben Thomas, Blair Murray and Louis Rees-Zammit all given spots at inside centre, left wing and full-back respectively.
Both Shanklin and Williams also named Mason Grady in their starting sides, with the former naming the Cardiff man on the right wing while the latter selected him at outside centre. Shanklin handed Eddie James the 13 jersey, but Williams gave it to Grady, with Tom Rogers taking the final spot in his team on the right flank.
“My centre partnership, I’ve gone with Ben Thomas and Eddie James,” explained Shanklin. “A bit of power in James, a bit of creativity in Thomas. Mason Grady on one wing, Louis Rees-Zammit at 15 and then Blair Murray, who can open up games, on the left wing.”
“[Tandy] might opt for Joe Hawkins [at inside centre],” he added. “I’ve not seen him play too much at 12, he’s had to fill in mostly at 10. But I think out the two, Hawkins or Ben Thomas, Thomas has played the better rugby and deserves his spot.”
As for his selections in the backs, Williams said: “[Opposition sides] can target [Blair Murray] aerially because of his height. That’s the name of the game, but if he gets the ball in clear space, there’s no better player playing in Wales at the minute to beat the defender one-on-one.
“Again, I’ve got Rees-Zammit [at full-back], just with his height and comfortability under the ball, he’s got a good kicking game [too] actually. Rogers, a hat-trick against the All Blacks, he’s full of confidence and he’s doing well for the Scarlets.”
“I’ve got Mason Grady at 13 which is interesting but I like him involved in the game,” he added. “We didn’t see enough of him tonight against Benetton on the wing.
“He’s a big man, a big ball carrier when he gets the ball, very similar to Eddie James and I could have very easily gone down that route as well.”
Tom Shanklin’s Wales XV to face England: 15. Louis Rees-Zammit, 14. Mason Grady, 13. Eddie James, 12. Ben Thomas, 11. Blair Murray, 10. Dan Edwards, 9. Tomos Williams; 1. Nicky Smith, 2. Dewi Lake, 3. Tomas Francis, 4. Adam Beard, 5. Dafydd Jenkins, 6. Aaron Wainwright, 7. Josh Macleod, 8. Olly Cracknell.
Shane Williams’ Wales XV to face England: 15. Louis Rees-Zammit, 14. Tom Rogers, 13. Mason Grady, 12. Ben Thomas, 11. Blair Murray, 10. Dan Edwards, 9. Tomos Williams; 1. Nicky Smith, 2. Dewi Lake, 3. Tomas Francis, 4. Adam Beard, 5. Dafydd Jenkins, 6. Olly Cracknell, 7. Harri Deaves, 8. Aaron Wainwright
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