Steve Tandy will be considering changes against France after last weekend’s stuffing at Allianz Stadium
Steve Tandy with Dan Lydiate in Wales training (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd)
There will be a lot of soul searching in Wales’ camp this week following last Saturday’s humiliating 48-7 defeat to England at Allianz Stadium Twickenham.
Steve Tandy will have plenty to ponder from a tactical point of view, while he will also need to consider whether to wield the axe with numerous players operating below the required level for international rugby against England.
One thing that is certain is Wales’ performance levels as a collective will have to improve tenfold if they are to avoid a thumping against France.
Here are the changes Tandy will need to consider before naming his squad to face France.
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Need for more power up-front
Let’s not beat around the bush – Wales’ pack got beaten up badly by England at Twickenham.
Apart from Aaron Wainwright, Wales struggled to get over the gain-line and struggled to win the collisions.
For all the intent at wanting to play an expansive brand of rugby, if you lose the contact area to the extent Wales did you won’t win a Test match.
Wales lack ball carriers and it would arguably be wise to start Rhys Carré against France.
He is not as good a scrummager as Nicky Smith but is one of the only carriers Wales have in the squad and is a man capable of making post-contact metres.
Another player who Wales need to consider starting is Tomas Francis who is the best scrummaging tighthead in the squad.
There is a better balance with Francis starting and Archie Griffin coming off the bench.
Wales also need more power in the backrow. Alex Mann is a good player who has a habit of getting under the skin of the opposition but Wales could do with a bigger, more physical blindside flanker.
Olly Cracknell is a destructive backrower who carries hard and arguably should be in the backrow with Aaron Wainwright who was Wales’ best player against England.
There is also an argument that the in-form Ryan Elias should start at hooker but Tandy is unlikely to drop his captain Dewi Lake.
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Lineout woes
Wales posted a 76% success rate at the lineout in comparison to England’s 95%.
That stat needs to be a lot higher if Wales are going to trouble France at the Principality Stadium.
As the hooker Lake has come in for a lot of criticism and he does need to shoulder some of the blame but others also need to take some responsibility.
Former Wales hooker Scott Baldwin took to social media platform X to give his view on Wales’ lineout woes.
“Contrary to the narrative around Wales lineout,” wrote Baldwin.
“Only 1 loss was on the hooker (FH), and one partial (SH), the rest were setup & call decisions. Hookers execute the call they’re given. Chase low-percentage options into a loaded defence, elite jumpers like Chessum make you pay.”
As a pack Wales need to be a lot more efficient against France because if they cannot win their own set-piece the visitors have the firepower to dish out some serious pain.
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Do Wales need to mix up the centres?
There is a school of thought that operating with a second ball player like Ben Thomas is not working well for this Wales side who may be better suited going with a carrier at inside centre.
As WalesOnline columnist and rugby great Jonathan Davies wrote yesterday it is unfair to judge Thomas too harshly because it is nigh- on impossible to make an impact playing behind a pack that is getting stuffed.
Also, Wales attack coach Matt Sherratt has always preferred a ball-playing 12 and there is an argument Wales should give Thomas and Eddie James a run of games.
Chopping and changing may not be the right thing to do, although Tandy does have the option to mix it up with the likes of Joe Hawkins, Owen Watkin and Louie Hennessey waiting in the wings.
But whatever way Wales go the midfield needs to be a lot more physical against France and they need to find a way of getting James into the game.
James is a big man with the ability of making post contact metres beyond the gain-line.
Time to unleash Grady?
Mason Grady is somewhat of an enigma in that he has all the raw minerals needed to succeed as an international player but as of yet we haven’t seen the best of the 23-year-old at Test level.
Wales need to get over the gain-line against France because they have been woeful in this area over the past couple of years.
Grady is someone who can potentially do that given his size and explosive power but it will have to be out on the wing.
The Cardiff star isn’t as strong under the high ball as Ellis Mee or Josh Adams but arguably offers Wales a dimension they are currently short of.
Tandy may prefer to use Grady as an impact player off the bench in the final quarter but there must also be a temptation to start him.