There are no quick fixes for Steve Tandy ahead of his first Six Nations with Wales
The dust has settled on Wales’ autumn campaign, with players already back in European action for their clubs.
For those involved, it was a good thing – allowing them to get back on the saddle after some tough defeats at the Principality Stadium last month. Steve Tandy’s first campaign in charge was a difficult one, as was largely expected.
Wales had won just one of their last 19 Tests ahead of the former Scotland coach taking charge.
A last-gasp win over Japan handed Tandy his first win, but heavy defeats to Argentina, New Zealand and South Africa only served to highlight the scale of the rebuild ahead.
There are no quick fixes in terms of the national team right now, with things hardly easing up on Wales going into the Six Nations.
The tournament kicks off with a trip to face in-form England, before hosting France and Scotland.
There’s then a Friday night match in Dublin, ahead of ending the tournament against Italy.
Avoiding a third consecutive wooden spoon at the end of all that would be some achievement for Tandy, given the current state of Welsh rugby.
Because, moving on from Tandy’s first campaign, there is no silver bullet in terms of selection or personnel.
The strongest team Tandy can call upon is still fairly similar to the one that went up against the All Blacks in the penultimate match of the autumn – which was perhaps Wales’ strongest showing.
Starting in the back-three, you can go around in circles with the different options. Josh Adams started the autumn on the wing before his ban, Ellis Mee and Rio Dyer ended the campaign out wide.
There’s also the likes of Tom Bowen and Keelan Giles to consider, while Mason Grady wants to focus on the wing as he returns from injury.
At full-back, Cameron Winnett will be back from injury while there’s also Jacob Beetham, who didn’t feature in the autumn.
However, even if you come to the conclusion that the three that started against New Zealand – Blair Murray, Louis Rees-Zammit and Tom Rogers – are the right options, opinions could vary on how best they should be used.
Murray has demonstrated time and time again over the last year that he is an elusive broken-field runner, but aerially, while brave, he can be targeted.
Both Rogers and Rees-Zammit are strong under the high ball and have experience of playing full-back – for Rogers, it had long been his preferred position – but there’s a case to be made for both to remain on the wing.
For Rees-Zammit, he’s only been back in Test rugby for five minutes after his NFL adventure. It hardly serves him well to be switched around just as he’s getting back to grips with the sport.
Plus, perhaps the key to Wales getting possession, territory and attacking opportunities comes from winning aerial battles rather than the collision.
As New Zealand showed, Rogers and Rees-Zammit are two of Wales’ best in the air going forward and that allowed them to play off transition.
Working out how to stop Murray being targeted remains a problem for Tandy to solve, but beyond bringing in Winnett or moving one of the existing wings there, the likelihood seems to be that Wales will stick with Murray for what he can bring with ball in hand.
In midfield, Joe Hawkins and Max Llewellyn looked a solid pairing against New Zealand and, providing the injury that left the latter on crutches this weekend isn’t serious, should start the Six Nations together at the Allianz Stadium.
It’s a similar story with the half-backs. Dan Edwards offers more positives than negatives and is starting to work well with Tomos Williams, who is Wales’ obvious first-choice scrum-half.
The pack is similar too. Rhys Carre and Keiron Assiratti perhaps offer more punch early on in the match, before turning to Nicky Smith and Archie Griffin, while Dewi Lake is Wales’ standout hooker.
In the second-row, Dafydd Jenkins and Adam Beard perhaps is still lacking something in terms of a balance, but Jenkins had his best game in a Welsh jersey against the All Blacks and followed it up with a remarkable performance for Exeter against Sale.
In the back-row, Wales will be without Jac Morgan so there’s a need for an openside.
Alex Mann did well there in the autumn when called upon, while Harri Deaves gave a typically full-throttle effort in his first cap. However, there’s an argument to be made for bringing back Tommy Reffell into the squad, with the Leicester man a proven international.
Taulupe Faletau, injured for the autumn, will offer some reliable quality if Tandy feels the 35-year-old is required.
Wales’ best Six Nations XV: Blair Murray; Louis Rees-Zammit, Max Llewellyn, Joe Hawkins, Tom Rogers; Dan Edwards, Tomos Williams, Rhys Carre, Dewi Lake, Keiron Assiratti, Dafydd Jenkins, Adam Beard, Alex Mann, Tommy Reffell, Taulupe Faletau.
Replacements: Liam Belcher, Nicky Smith, Archie Griffin, Rhys Davies, Aaron Wainwright, Kieran Hardy, Jarrod Evans, Mason Grady.
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