Steve Tandy, the Wales head coach, is about to drop his Nations Championship squad on Tuesday, October 20, and trust me, the European action over the weekend just threw a wrench into his plans. Welsh clubs were absolutely battling it out, with Dragons, Ospreys, and Scarlets kicking off their Challenge Cup campaigns with wins. Cardiff, though, had a rougher ride, losing at Northampton in their return to the top-tier Champions Cup. But even in that loss, some serious late claims for spots were made, giving Tandy a ton of food for thought as the 2027 World Cup countdown ticks away.
Veterans Blast Back Into Contention
Cardiff might have come up short in Northampton, but forget the final score for a sec, because there were huge positives. The biggest? The returns of seasoned Wales internationals Taulupe Faletau and Josh Adams from injury. Faletau, the number eight with an insane 109 caps, was just immense. He clocked in for just under an hour, his first outing since March, and looked like he hadn’t missed a beat. The guy racked up 65 meters on eight carries in the first half alone! And talk about clutch, he pulled off a telling defensive moment to shut down Callum Chick right on the try line. His final play, a hard carry off the base of a scrum, just screamed “I’m back!” Tandy knows what Faletau brings, having worked with him on the 2021 Lions’ tour, and despite a knee injury keeping him out of the 2025 autumn internationals, the coach has to be pumped to see him not just return but hit high standards immediately.
Then there’s Josh Adams. The 31-year-old wing jumped in for the final quarter, and while getting reeled in by George Hendy with a try looking certain had to sting, it was his first run out and a crucial one. Adams had a strong 2026 Six Nations, and his experience and dependability in the back three are exactly what Tandy looks for. If Wales thinks Faletau and Adams need more minutes, Cardiff has United Rugby Championship games coming up against Sharks and Ospreys. This kind of form from these two? It makes the squad selection so much harder, but in the best way possible.
The Scrum-Half Battle Just Exploded
Okay, so Tomos Williams is basically a lock to start at scrum-half against Japan on November 7. No surprises there. But that 21 jersey for the rest of the month? Totally up for grabs, and it’s getting wild. There’s been all this chatter about trying to lure Scarlets veteran Gareth Davies out of retirement, especially with Kieran Hardy’s injury against Dragons throwing a spanner in the works.
But then there’s Reuben Morgan-Williams. The 28-year-old Ospreys scrum-half has been a bit of a forgotten man in all this noise, even though he literally came off the bench in Wales’ most recent Test match in South Africa. Well, he just reminded everyone why he’s a serious contender. In his first start of the season against Black Lion in Tbilisi, he put on a super lively display in a comfortable win. Morgan-Williams was absolutely critical in keeping the tempo high for Ospreys, and he even produced an assist for Tomos Wi… yeah, the guy is making a serious case for himself.
With Tandy naming the squad on Tuesday, the pressure is on. Wales is gearing up for some massive matches against Japan, New Zealand, and Australia in Cardiff, plus another clash at Twickenham on finals weekend. Every player who stepped onto that European field knew it was their last shot, and some, especially Faletau and Morgan-Williams, grabbed that chance with both hands. It’s going to be fascinating to see who makes the cut.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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