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Wales Nations Championship Squad Reaction – Summer 2026

With 6 uncapped players, several recalls, and some surprising omissions, there’s a lot to discuss about the new-look Wales squad for the upcoming Nations Championship. With four games to play, including an uncapped Barbarians fixture on the 27th of June, the larger squad size is an indications of Tandy’s choice to maximise his depth of options and look at as many players as possible who could be in the frame for the 2027 Rugby World Cup. 48 is slightly higher than Fiji’s 45-man squad, but Tandy has stressed that after the 27th, there will be an updated set of players who will travel to San Juan to play Argentina; how much the squad will be trimmed is to yet to be seen.

PROPS

If you’ve read my initial squad prediction, half of this will look familiar. At loosehead, Nicky Smith and Rhys Carré have been strong performers in recent campaigns and Gareth Thomas has certainly proven capable of getting the job done at this level in the past, recent form aside. From there, Rhys Barratt has been nominated as an uncapped 4th player for the Barbarians test, one he deserves having started most of Cardiff’s games this season and scrummaged well above his weight class. How well his attributes carry on the international stage will be tested, but his workrate is hard to deny.

At tighthead, it’s a lot more interesting. Tomas Francis has been rested to manage his minutes for the World Cup, and Archie Griffin has undergone elective surgery, so Kieron Assiratti should remain the front-runner. The again, the return of Dillon Lewis presents an interesting prospect; he;s missed most of the Dragons’ season through injury, but has played brilliantly on his return and certainly has the experience to back up his merits. Sam Wainwright continues with the squad after the Six Nations, but Ben Warren’s recall is also warranted, as both a strong scrummager and powerful carrier, one could see him challenging Archie Griffin for a starting jersey in some years time.

HOOKER

Despite his injury, Dewi Lake has been recalled into the Wales camp, though when exactly he’ll return is unclear. Ryan Elias will likely serve as the first choice unti then given his strong form at club level and consistent performances throughout the Six Nations. Interestingly, neither Lake nor Jac Morgan have been named as captain, as Tandy plans to make this choice later in the summer.

Interestingly, there is no recall for Elliot Dee, despite his solid form for Dragons and his past international experience. Perhaps Tandy prefers Liam Belcher’s higher workrate and stronger carrying game; the Cardiff captain also brings leadership qualities that Tandy tends to look for from his older players. Similarly, Evan Lloyd has been selected over Brodie Coghlan; though having a mostly less reliable setpiece, Lloyd is a lot faster than the other hooker options, and could bring considerable dynamism off the bench if he impresses Tandy.

LOCKS

Mostly predictable; Dafydd Jenkins & Ben Carter continue their powerful partnership from the Six Nations, while Adam Beard has been retained despite his less-than-stellar campaign. Freddie Thomas also earns a recall, though Gloucester tend to prefer deploying him at blindside than in the second-row. His bench utility will be helpful, as an aggressive, forward-charging lock. Rhys Davies’ omission is unfortunate, but certainly seems to be next in line.

Teddy Williams’ return, however, is much appreciated provided he’ll be back in time for the Barbarians game. Without Davies, only he, Carter, and Woodman will be available, so hopefully he recaptures the form he showed against Japan last summer He may be better suited for a bench role against Carter and Jenkins as he lacks their power but brings more speed, while his defensive workrate is something Tandy clearly values from his second-rowers.

BACK ROW

A beefy category with a lot to talk about. The prodigal son’s return aside, a backrow combo of Mann, Morgan, and Wainwright seems most likely; no need to fix what isn’t broken, though James Botham may work his way in. Taine Plumtree and Olly Cracknell remain after mixed performances from the Six Nations, but their unique qualities are obvious to those who’ve seen them at their best.

After many requests, Tommy Reffell makes his return to action as the likely backup 7 to Jac Morgan. Then again, the combo of Morgan at 6 and Reffell at 7 worked well for Wales in the 2025 Six Nations, so that’ll always be an option if Wales want to target the breakdown. His more frequent leadership experiences at Leicester will be valuable around camp as well.

Ryan Woodman offers a larger and more physical option to Alex Mann at blindside, and is certainly someone who will interest Tandy going forward, but Harrison Keddie is the more interesting pick. Uncapped at 29, his versatility across the backrow and strong form during the Dragons’ playoff rush in Europe earn him a spot. Whether or not he’ll be retained when they cut down the squad will be interesting, though, as he otherwise doesn’t have an obvious standout attribute.

Lastly, following his return from injury, Kane James has elected to throw his lot in with Wales. Starring for England U20s in the 2025 U20s Six Nations, James has a more dynamic carrying style than the larger Wainwright and Cracknell at 8, though is no less efficient when it comes to scoring tries. He’s quickly worked his way into Exeter’s senior 23, and if he stays with the squad, he’ll be making another step up to international rugby, but with Wales lacking much youth at 8 besides Morgan Morse, Kane James gives a different but equally effective option for Tandy to look at.

SCRUM-HALF

As predicted, the same 3 from the Six Nations Squad remain. A consistent issue has been Tomos Williams’ complete monopoly over the 9 jersey, as Hardy and Morgan-Williams haven’t had much chance to show their skillsets when they only get to play around 5 minutes a game. With Tomos missing from the Barbarians fixture, it’ll be interesting to see how Tandy reshuffles things, as Hardy hasn’t really impressed when he’s been in the drivers’ seat.

To compensate for the ageing depth in the position, Ellis Bevan has been added to the squad; while Archie Hughes or the injured Che Hope are younger options, Bevan has the experience of previous Wales camps under Warren Gatland, so it makes sense for Tandy to want to see what he;s capable of. Dane Blacker can feel hard done by, though.

FLY-HALF

One of the more understated but interesting selections. These are the three most popular options, but of the three, Sam Costelow and Jarrod Evans are both injured, which begs the question of how Tandy plans to cover the position should they fail to recover in time for the start of the tour. Joe Hawkins seems the most likely option, given how much rugby he’s played there for Scarlets, but it’s hardly ideal.

Luckily, Dan Edwards can more than lead the way in this position; after a strong end to his Six Nations campaign, Edwards is likely to be the Ospreys’ star player with Jac and Dewi leaving, and his attacking flourish gives him a serious edge at this level. Definitely one player to watch this summer, as he’ll aim to widen the gap between him and Costelow.

CENTRES

Surprisingly, Tandy has selected a lot of centres for this summer tour, suggesting a desire to try out multiple different combinations. Joe Hawkins and Eddie James will be the safe bet to continue their partnership from the Six Nations, but with many believing James would be better suited at 12 than 13, we could see a different look to Wales’ midfield by the end.

Max Llewellyn and Joe Roberts have been included off the back of their excellent form for club level, and Llewellyn will look to continue his partnership with Ben Thomas. Thomas himself has been one of Cardiff’s bets players this season, though at international level he looks a few levels behind Hawkins, which may hurt his colleague. Roberts, meanwhile, was considered a great partner for James in midfield this time last year, and his pace out wide would be a strong weapon alongside the larger man’s carrying power.

More eye-catchingly, Louie Hennessey has been retained after starting for Bath in the Champion’s Cup semi-final, and his Wales U20s partner Bryn Bradley has been called in. Bradley is especially interesting as his playstyle is more similar to Eddie James, but he is explicitly an inside centre for Harlequins, leaning credence to the theory that Tandy wishes to build his midfield that way.

OUTSIDE BACKS

The same outside backs as the Six Nations, though now we have a clearer understanding of where they all fall in the pecking order. Josh Adams’ experience makes him the most likely starter, while Ellis Mee generally occupies the other wing, though his injury makes it unclear when he will be available for selection. Gabriel Hamer-Webb is another potential starter, as he’s only gotten better as he gets more game time for Leicester Tigers, though he’ll be missing for the Barbarians test.

Mason Grady also gets in, despite also being injured, so Rio Dyer can feel hard done by given his persistently strong form for Dragons. So can Jacob Beetham, who’s also been crucial to the end of Cardiff’s season, and especially considering the unresolved issues at fullback. Louis Rees-Zammit hasn’t really clicked with the role yet at this level, and Blair Murray still struggles with handling contested high balls, so Tom Rogers may be on the cards for the Barbarians test, especially given his move to Ospreys seems motivated by his desire to play 15.