Steve Tandy has named his 39-man squad for the upcoming Nations Championship campaign this autumn, with three uncapped players called up and recalls for Taine Basham, Seb Davies and Rio Dyer. Several notable absentees have emerged as the unluckiest men in Wales.
Macs Page and Elliot Dee among notable omissions
The 21-year-old Page broke through for the Scarlets a couple of years ago, scoring five tries in 20 appearances in the 2024-25 season. That form saw him tour with Wales in 2025, but he did not win a cap. He had been heavily tipped for involvement this campaign after scoring four tries in as many outings this season.
Scarlets director of rugby Nigel Davies backed Page for a call, saying: "He's somebody that really excites me. He's probably the first name on the team sheet." Davies added: "Steve will definitely be considering him. Someone who sticks a hand up like Macs has got to come into consideration. He'll be part of the debate."
His omission has raised eyebrows, with Tandy picking Rio Dyer instead after the Dragons man was given work-ons around his aerial game and work-rate. Dyer's improvement has been rewarded, but Page is likely to be next in line in the event of injuries.
Elliot Dee, a late addition to the summer squad, had hoped to challenge Dewi Lake and Ryan Elias for game-time. His case was strengthened by an impressive start to the season yielding five tries in three games, putting him top of the United Rugby Championship try-scoring charts. He has more than 50 caps for Wales and was one of Warren Gatland's favourite players, but Tandy has preferred Cardiff's Liam Belcher.
Grady, Thomas and Macleod miss out
Mason Grady was tipped as a strong option for the back three, given his ability to cover centre and out wide. He was included in the summer squad but did not play, and also featured in the Six Nations campaign where he scored a try against France off the bench. However, he has missed out completely this time, with his club form perhaps not good enough to warrant a place.
Freddie Thomas had been favoured by Tandy, featuring heavily in his first autumn campaign and the last Six Nations squad. His performances for Gloucester at blindside flanker had seemingly strengthened his case, but the impressive form of Cardiff's Teddy Williams has moved him ahead in the second row pecking order, while Kane James' emergence and Taine Basham's recall reduce the need for Thomas's versatility.
Josh Macleod has arguably been the Scarlets' leading forward this season, showcasing his talents with four or five turnovers in the hammering of Newcastle recently. Unfortunately for the flanker, Wales' back row options are stacked, with Basham and James providing dynamic points of difference Macleod perhaps does not.
Roberts, Cracknell, Bradley, Keddie and Evans left out
Joe Roberts responded to his Six Nations omission with a fine run of form and was rewarded with a place in the summer squad, but does not make the cut this time despite injury to Ben Thomas. Wales reportedly see Bath's Louie Hennessey as their long-term 13 option.
Olly Cracknell has enjoyed a strong start to the season with Leicester and always performed well for Wales, but his skillset is not as wide as others. Bryn Bradley, yet to make his senior bow, was in the summer training squad but did not play. Jason Gilmore, his head coach at Harlequins, has previously backed the centre for an international bow, while Wales legend Adam Jones is a big fan. Wales have preferred Dragons man Aneurin Owen after being impressed by his consistency and work-rate in training.
Harrison Keddie is another still waiting for his first cap after being included over the summer. His omission is something of a surprise given Tandy is understood to be an admirer of his abilities, but others have a stronger case.
Jarrod Evans' absence is less of a surprise given his lack of game time recently. The fly-half suffered a shoulder injury in April and moved to Cardiff. His bow against Northampton in the Champions Cup this weekend was his first since moving from Harlequins.
Faletau left out but not ruled out
Taulupe Faletau is one of the most notable names not included, but the fact he is even in the mix after such a long time out at his age tells you all you need to know about the man. Tandy has said there's every chance the 35-year-old may yet feature in his autumn plans, but a lack of game-time was behind his decision to leave him out.
Faletau played for Cardiff in the Champions Cup on Sunday in what was his first game since March. "Toby in fairness has been out for a while," Tandy said. "It's amazing what he can do. We're not ruling him out."
