Wales are off the back of an 18 game loss streak, with their only win in 644 days being to Japan at the end of the summer tour to the land of the rising sun.
With that win under the interim eyes of Matt Sheratt, after the departure of Warren Gatland in February 2025 following the sides 14th consecutive loss. In July Steve Tandy was announced to be the new permanent head coach, leaving his contract of defence coach at Scotland.
The Welshman is set to name his squad ahead of the Autumn Nations next Tuesday. This year Wales are facing Argentina, Japan, South Africa and New Zealand. With Wales not expected to win any of these games, all eyes are on the former Ospreys manager naming a team that will give the fans a glimmer of hope.
It is very likely that the captaincy will return to Ospreys Captain Jac Morgan. He was one of the two Welsh players to be selected for the Lions tour this summer and is undeniably one of Wales’ current stars.
Tandy will undeniably be looking at the ongoing United Rugby Championship to select some of his players. With a new tenure the coach is likely to want to phase out some of the older players, building a side with a new identity and bringing in fresh legs to build momentum and experience.
With the 4th round of the championship kicking off on Friday, it is the last chance for international hopefuls to impress Steve Tandy. Scarlets find themselves at the bottom of the table, with zero points so far, having just received a battering from the Stormers who beat them 34 to nil.
Despite their string of poor results, the Scarlets have some stand out players. Standing out are Ellis Mee and Blair Murray, who both play as part of the back three and are 22 and 23 respectively. Though their start to the season has been poor, both players showcased their ability when representing Wales in the last Six Nations. With Liam Williams as an experienced selection, the return of 2021 superstar Louis Rees-Zammit from the NFL, and other options available in the back three, the competition is tight and both Mee and Murray will be looking to stand out this weekend.
Moving to Swansea, the Ospreys are having a slightly better start to their URC season. Though they lost their first two games, they managed to win to nil against Italian Side Zebre in their last game. Fly-half Dan Edwards really showcased his kicking ability and he may be a shoe-in given the retirement and age of other kicking options.
Like Scarlets and Ospreys, Dragons have had a tough start to the season too, with the side only fielding two points from a second round draw vs the Sharks. The side boasts former Welsh under-21 captain Ryan Woodman who has impressed with his physicality as lock and will hope to impress further when they face Cardiff this weekend.
Cardiff are currently sitting nicely in 4th, having won two of their three games so far. Undeniably impressive has been the connection between fly-half Callum Sheedy and 19 year old winger Tom Bowen. With Sheedy’s little grubber kicks and Bowen’s speed the side have roared in nice attacking rugby the last three weeks. Bowen was a stand out star for the Welsh U21 side with his agility helping the side achieve some success. With the competitiveness of the position and Bowen’s lack of experience will Tandy and his team – which now includes ex Cardiff boss and Welsh interim coach Matt Sheratt – pick Bowen for international duty, or will they decide he is not quite ready?
Cardiff play Dragons this Friday evening, Scarlets and Ospreys face up against Lions and Glasgow respectively on Saturday. With one last opportunity to stand out, who will push themselves that little bit more?
