Wales have a big problem and must bring star home to solve it

Tighthead prop is an area of grave concern in Wales

Steve Tandy’s immediate priority will be ensuring Wales are competitive in this summer’s inaugural Nations Cup, but with only 16 months until the Rugby World Cup, there is also a clear emphasis on succession planning and blooding the next generation.

The inclusion of Exeter Chiefs back-row forward Kane James and Harlequins centre Bryn Bradley underlines Tandy’s long-term thinking. Yet a closer examination of his 48-man squad also exposes a glaring concern: Wales’ lack of depth at tighthead prop.

As Springboks great Danie Craven once observed: “The first player on any teamsheet should be the tighthead prop. Any coach’s second selection should be his back-up tighthead before considering the rest of the team.”

For Wales, this has been a problem position for much of the past two decades. Even during Adam Jones’ reign as arguably the most formidable scrummaging tighthead in world rugby, there remained a significant drop-off in quality behind the Ospreys stalwart.

The recall of Tomas Francis — absent from the international fold since the 2023 Rugby World Cup following his move to Provence Rugby — helped stabilise Wales’ scrum during the autumn campaign.

Francis is now 34, but he remains an invaluable asset and could still have a major role to play for Tandy in Australia in 2027. Resting the former Exeter Chiefs and Ospreys prop this summer therefore appears a sensible decision.

Beyond Francis, however, the depth chart is worryingly thin, and it is an issue the Welsh Rugby Union must prioritise over the coming years.

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Wales possess several tighthead props who contribute effectively in open play but struggle to withstand the power of the elite scrummaging packs in the international game.

To his credit, Keiron Assiratti has quietly developed into a scrummager of genuine international calibre. He impressed during the autumn before injury curtailed his Six Nations campaign, offering Wales genuine encouragement for the future.

Bath’s Archie Griffin, meanwhile, may yet emerge as the long-term answer. The 24-year-old — unavailable this summer due to elective surgery — is an outstanding athlete, operating almost as an additional back-row forward around the field.

Yet questions remain over his credentials as a top-level scrummager. At times Griffin has acquitted himself well; at others he has struggled under pressure. The challenge for Wales’ coaching staff will be helping him find consistency at the set-piece.

Dillon Lewis has earned a recall and, while the 57-cap international brings valuable experience, he has never been regarded as a dominant scrummager. Sam Wainwright, meanwhile, has largely played a supporting role at Cardiff this season.

Ben Warren is highly rated within the Ospreys set-up, but at 26 there are legitimate questions as to why he has yet to cement a regular starting position at regional level, particularly with Tom Botha now 35 and approaching the twilight of his career.

The reality is stark: genuinely high-quality scrummaging tighthead props remain in short supply within Welsh rugby, and that shortage must be addressed.

There is a strong argument that efforts should be made to release last season’s Wales Under-20 tighthead from his Bristol Bears contract and place him within one of the Welsh regions.

Former Wales head coach Warren Gatland identified Scott as a player of significant promise, and his development now requires acceleration.

Training alongside players such as Ellis Genge at Bristol undoubtedly offers value, but meaningful senior rugby is essential. Scott needs regular first-team opportunities to fast-track his progression.

The 20-year-old has spent the majority of his time playing in National One, whereas had he been based within a Welsh region he may already have accumulated significant United Rugby Championship experience.

Scott was a strong scrummager at U20s level, a dynamic ball carrier and, arguably, possesses a higher ceiling than several players currently ahead of him in the national pecking order.

Tighthead props traditionally require patience and time to mature, but Wales can ill afford to wait indefinitely.

Elsewhere, Wales Under-20 tighthead Jac Pritchard impressed during the Under-20 Six Nations, while Yestyn Cook possesses the physical attributes to become a player of genuine promise.

Wales should also be monitoring former Cardiff loosehead Rhys Litterick, who remains Welsh-qualified.

Litterick delivered consistently during his two seasons at the Arms Park before securing a move to Edinburgh at the beginning of the current campaign.

Although he is currently sidelined with an Achilles injury, the 27-year-old ought to be firmly on the radar of at least a couple of Wales’ professional clubs, particularly given he arguably represents a stronger option than some of those presently under consideration.

Whatever shape Welsh rugby’s new professional structure ultimately takes, there must be a renewed and uncompromising focus on producing a higher standard of scrummaging tighthead prop.