Steve Tandy braces for criticism as he makes bold Wales selections
After more than a year and 13 matches in charge, Wales head coach Steve Tandy is becoming accustomed to the hard phone calls and the inevitable backlash that follows each squad announcement. On Tuesday he revealed a 39‑man roster for the November Nations Championship, a list that sparked the usual tribal debates among supporters.
The squad features three uncapped players – centre Aneurin Owen, scrum‑half Che Hope and wing Rhys Barratt – alongside the returns of Rio Dyer, Seb Davies, Taine Basham and Gabriel Hamer‑Webb. Equally notable are the names left out: veteran Taulupe Faletau, promising wing Macs Page, Elliot Dee, Bryn Bradley, Mason Grady and Tommy Reffell, the latter ruled out with a knee injury.
“There will be people out there challenging me on selections,” Tandy said, acknowledging that critics rarely name who they would drop. “It’s always the people who should be in. It’s something that comes with the territory.”
Tandy left his post as Scotland’s defence coach to take the helm of his home nation in the summer of 2025. In his short tenure he has already called on 54 different players, and with the Rugby World Cup in Australia looming, he is still casting a wide net. Although the tournament squad will be limited to 33 men, he opted for a larger 39‑player group for the Nations Championship.
“I get flak wherever I go, that’s something I’m getting used to,” the former Ospreys flanker admitted. “Martyn would have kicked off if I had taken more, he wouldn’t be happy with the budget. I’m comfortable in this space and know we are thorough around our selection.” He added that he has endured several tough phone calls but prefers the players to know exactly where they stand.
With only 12 or 13 fixtures left before Wales open their World Cup campaign against Zimbabwe, Tandy is keen to trim his options while still rewarding form. “I never hand out an opportunity; they have to earn it,” he explained. “But this is another chance to see someone else in our environment and see what comes out of it.”
That philosophy is evident in the inclusion of the uncapped Dragons pair – Owen and Hope – and the surprising recall of Dragons lock/flanker Seb Davies. Davies, now in his second season with the Dragons after leaving Cardiff, has 17 caps but has not featured since the 2022 Six Nations match with Italy. Wales already boast a strong second‑row contingent in Dafydd Jenkins, Ben Carter, Adam Beard and Teddy Williams, making it unlikely they will take five forwards to the World Cup, yet Tandy still wants to evaluate the 30‑year‑old’s athleticism.
“You see the athletic ability with Seb and speaking to him there was the emotional outpouring of being involved with the squad,” Tandy said. “We had an alignment camp, a smaller unit gathering, and he came in to get to know them. With that exposure, it’s a great opportunity to see boys in our environment.”
One in‑form player who will have to wait is 21‑year‑old Scarlets wing Macs Page, who celebrated his 50th Scarlets appearance this month. Page has crossed the try line four times in as many games and recorded nine line breaks, yet he was omitted in favour of Dyer, Hamer‑Webb, Josh Adams, Ellis Mee, Blair Murray, Tom Rogers and Louis Rees‑Zammit. “Macs has been outstanding but that’s where the depth of our wingers and back‑field is really encouraging,” Tandy told the Scrum V podcast.
Tandy also highlighted the form of other backs such as Mason Grady, Keelan Giles, Tom Bowen and Jacob Beetham, who impressed before injury. Rio Dyer, selected by Tandy last autumn and earning his 24th cap against South Africa, missed the Six Nations and summer tests but has continued to threaten opponents with his ball‑carrying and aerial skills. “Some of his aerial contests have been better than anyone in Wales,” Tandy praised. “Rio has really developed that and his work rate has been outstanding. He thoroughly deserves his recall.”
In midfield, Tandy has already tried five different centre pairings and could add another with Owen’s call‑up. Ben Thomas, who started against South Africa in July, is sidelined with a calf injury, opening the door for the uncapped Dragons centre. Owen, who earned a Wales squad place in the summer of 2021 after a breakout season that disrupted the Jamie Roberts‑Nick Tompkins partnership, has been rewarded for his club consistency. “He has been outstandingly consistent and does everything really well,” Tandy said. “Coaches speak about his standards on and off the field, how he is the last one off after working on extras.”