Wales face pivotal month as Nations Championship returns

Nations Championship returns with new format

The inaugural Nations Championship has three rounds of games following July matches. Twelve sides will compete with a finals weekend at Twickenham to determine final placings.

Wales' record so far this year

Wales won one and lost two in the first half of the tournament. They beat Fiji thirty-nine to twenty-four and Argentina thirty-five to twenty-one, but lost to South Africa forty-three to zero.

Japan visit Cardiff for fourth meeting

Wales face Japan on Saturday at the Principality Stadium. The teams have met three times in sixteen months, with Wales winning two of those games, including a last-gasp win in Cardiff a year ago.

Tandy's record and ambitions

Head coach Steve Tandy has won three games and suffered nine defeats in twelve internationals.He says Wales are on par with where he wants them but need to kick on faster than they have done.

“We're probably on par with where I'd like us to be but we want to kick on faster than we have done.”

Progress from a year ago

Tandy points to improvement from twelve months ago when Wales had won just one of twenty-six matches. They have now won four victories in thirteen matches since then.

“If you look at where we were 12 months ago, the boys had won just one of 26 matches. Now we've started winning again, with four victories in 13 matches.”

Tandy refuses to set autumn target

The Wales head coach refused to give a target for how many games his side ought to win this autumn. The Welsh public should expect two victories to show progress and push top-eight nations close.

Tournament placement matters, Tandy says

Tandy insists where Wales finish in the inaugural Nations Championship is important. He says Wales must control their performance and hit the ground running quickly in the tournament.

“It always matters, we want to finish as high up in any tournament but the only thing we can control is our performance.”

Lake backs Tandy's optimism

Wales captain Dewi Lake says the squad is in the best state he can remember heading into a campaign, backing up Tandy's assessment of the team's current condition.

Record English-based players in squad

Tandy picked a record twelve players from English clubs in his twenty-three, with nine including six forwards in his first fifteen.Players like Nicky Smith and Dewi Lake say their games improved since joining English clubs.

Sixth centre partnership in thirteen matches

Tandy has named a sixth centre partnership in thirteen internationals by pairing Max Llewellyn with Eddie James. He says there will be changes due to rotation and injuries across four back-to-back Test matches.

Attendance crisis threatens WRU finances

The fifty thousand one hundred eighty-five that watched Wales against Argentina in twenty twenty-five was the lowest non-Covid era game since twenty sixteen. The WRU relies on attendances for more than half its turnover.

WRU announces eighteen million pound loss

The Welsh Rugby Union announced an eighteen million pound loss last month. Empty seats would represent badly needed lost revenue, with players including Louis Rees-Zammit posting ticket links on social media.

Lake appeals to supporters

Captain Dewi Lake says Wales have built massive connections with supporters over eighteen months. He says the squad must excite fans and make them bring noise to the Principality Stadium.

“We know it's on us to excite them and to make them bring noise. It's not just going to happen on its own.”

WRU restructure plan remains unclear

The WRU board wants to cut to two professional sides by twenty twenty-eight, awarding licences to Cardiff and Dragons.New chair Lyndon Faulkner suggests reviewing that plan, while pursuing an Anglo-Welsh league with unclear team numbers.

Clarity promised after Australia match

An annual general meeting is scheduled the day after Wales play Australia this month. A rugby summit has been proposed for December where supporters hope clarity and transparency will be provided on the WRU's future.