Wales head coach Steve Tandy will cut at least 11 players from his squad for the inaugural Nations Championship this week. Tandy initially named an extended squad of 48 players because English and French-based players were unavailable for the out-of-window game with the Barbarians last Saturday.
Returning Players and Injuries
This week, Tandy will welcome back players such as Dafydd Jenkins, Rhys Carré, Nicky Smith, Louis Rees-Zammit, Tommy Reffell, and Max Llewellyn into camp. However, hooker Liam Belcher and centre Louie Hennessey have already been ruled out due to injury. Other players are left sweating as Tandy trims the squad down to between 34 and 32 players.
Loosehead Prop Battle
With Carré and Smith nailed on at loosehead, one of Gareth Thomas or Rhys Barratt will miss out. The smart money is on the experienced Thomas getting the nod, but Tandy may want to take a closer look at in-form Cardiff prop Barratt with the World Cup in mind.
Lock Options
Tandy currently has five locks in his squad, so it is expected he will drop at least one this week. Jenkins and Ben Carter are nailed on, while it would be a surprise if he left out the experienced Adam Beard. The decision likely lies between Gloucester's Freddie Thomas and Teddy Williams, who played his first game since dislocating his foot last October against the Barbarians. Williams performed well on Saturday, so Thomas could be the one to miss out.
Backrow Competition
Currently, Tandy has nine backrowers and will almost certainly drop a couple in this area. Assuming James Botham and Alex Mann are fit, they will be included after impressing during the Six Nations. Uncapped Dragons backrower Harrison Keddie appears the most likely to miss out, despite making a positive impact from the bench in the victory over the Barbarians.
After working hard to convince England Under-20s star Kane James to commit to Wales, Tandy is unlikely to leave him behind. Wales will want to cap him this summer, effectively closing the door on any prospect of England trying to lure him back into the fold. Uncapped Dragons backrower Ryan Woodman is another leading contender to miss out on the final squad.
Jac Morgan's return to fitness leaves Wales well stocked at openside, with Botham and Mann also able to fill the role, leaving specialist number seven Tommy Reffell vulnerable to missing out, while Olly Cracknell could also be in danger.
Scrum-Half and Fly-Half Decisions
Tandy will almost certainly take Tomos Williams, Kieran Hardy, and Reuben Morgan-Williams as his three scrum-halves, with Ellis Bevan the unlucky one. Given Dan Edwards and Sam Costelow are clearly Tandy's two first-choice outside-halves, Jarrod Evans could be in the firing line, with Joe Hawkins or Ben Thomas providing cover.
Centres and Back-Three
At centre, it would be a surprise if Joe Roberts remained in the squad, and Tandy may want to retain uncapped Bryn Bradley for the same reasons as backrower James. In the back-three, Rees-Zammit, Ellis Mee, Josh Adams, and Josh Adams will almost certainly be in the squad. Tom Rogers is in danger of being released after a disappointing performance against the Barbarians, given he didn't play a single minute during the Six Nations. Leicester Tigers wing Gabriel Hamer-Webb is also up against it.
