Tandy's first squad

[UKHamlet]

Wales squad for autumn Tests

Forwards

Keiron Assiratti (Cardiff), Adam Beard (Montpellier), Liam Belcher (Cardiff), Rhys Carre (Saracens), Ben Carter (Dragons), Brodie Coghlan (Dragons), Christian Coleman (Dragons), Rhys Davies (Ospreys), Taulupe Faletau (Cardiff), James Fender (Ospreys), Archie Griffin (Bath), Dafydd Jenkins (Exeter Chiefs), Dewi Lake (Ospreys), Alex Mann (Cardiff), Jac Morgan (Ospreys), Morgan Morse (Ospreys), Nicky Smith (Leicester Tigers), Danny Southworth (Cardiff), Gareth Thomas (Ospreys), Freddie Thomas (Gloucester), Aaron Wainwright (Dragons).

Backs

Josh Adams (Cardiff), Jacob Beetham (Cardiff), Rio Dyer (Dragons), Dan Edwards (Ospreys), Jarrod Evans (Harlequins), Kieran Hardy (Ospreys), Joe Hawkins (Scarlets), Louie Hennessey (Bath), Max Llewellyn (Gloucester), Reuben Morgan-Williams (Ospreys), Blair Murray (Scarlets), Louis Rees-Zammit (Bristol Bears), Tom Rogers (Scarlets), Callum Sheedy (Cardiff), Ben Thomas (Cardiff), Nick Tompkins (Saracens), Tomos Williams (Gloucester).

[UKHamlet]

Pleasing to see these included

Rhys Carre
Morgan Morse
Joe Hawkins

[normanski]

Nicky Smith and then Rhys Carre off the bench looks likely. Smith destroyed Will Stuart last week and let’s hope he can carry over this form in November.

[Son of Mathonwy]

Yeah, I'm not convinced the 25-cap rule exists if Care isn't captured by it but it'll be good to keep him in Wales. Big impact sub.

Reffell's a surprise but Morse will be excellent cover at 7 (and the whole back row).

I'm not really a fan of Mann. Would prefer Ratti or Plumtree. Rhys Davies is there but I assume he's primarily covering 2nd row.

Not sure what Dyer or even Adams have done to get ahead of Bowen. Experience over form.

Interesting to see Hennessey involved (not sure he'll get much game time though). Was anonymous for Bath on Saturday.

Sheedy is a risky call. If played will Tandy want another kicker on the pitch?

As ever, the centre selection will be fascinating . . . Thomas, Tompkins, Llewellyn, Hawkins, Beetham, Hennessey???

[Scottish Caley Fan]

I'm going to try and watch some of the Wales matches to guage how Steve Tandy plans on playing etc.

As a Scotland fan, it would be nice if you guys could beat Argentina for us so they lose rankings points making it easier to catch them .

It seems that Steve is mixing youth with experience in his first squad which isn't a bad thing imho.

Out of curiosity, how do you guys think you'll get on in November, what would be classed as success in terms of results and performances etc ?

[Son of Mathonwy]

I'm going to try and watch some of the Wales matches to guage how Steve Tandy plans on playing etc.

As a Scotland fan, it would be nice if you guys could beat Argentina for us so they lose rankings points making it easier to catch them .

It seems that Steve is mixing youth with experience in his first squad which isn't a bad thing imho.

Out of curiosity, how do you guys think you'll get on in November, what would be classed as success in terms of results and performances etc ?

Check out how low our expectations are :

http://www.rugbyrebels.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=7475

[Buggaluggs]

Sad (but understandable) to see the ABs comments about a tough game against Ireland, should beat Scotland then England to secure the Grand Slam. A week before they play Wales. Still, excited to see what Tandy can do. He has a few more players at his disposal.

[UKHamlet]

Sad (but understandable) to see the ABs comments about a tough game against Ireland, should beat Scotland then England to secure the Grand Slam. A week before they play Wales. Still, excited to see what Tandy can do. He has a few more players at his disposal.

A Welsh team of a few years ago would be relishing playing the ABs when they're not firing on all cylinders. Now they're so far away from us as to be an alien lifeform. Small steps though. Give Japan a good seeing too, Argentina a good game for 80 minutes, try to concede less than 60 against the Boks, and 50 against the ABs. Learn lessons, move on, look for two or three wins in the 6N.

[Son of Mathonwy]

Sad (but understandable) to see the ABs comments about a tough game against Ireland, should beat Scotland then England to secure the Grand Slam. A week before they play Wales. Still, excited to see what Tandy can do. He has a few more players at his disposal.

A Welsh team of a few years ago would be relishing playing the ABs when they're not firing on all cylinders. Now they're so far away from us as to be an alien lifeform. Small steps though. Give Japan a good seeing too, Argentina a good game for 80 minutes, try to concede less than 60 against the Boks, and 50 against the ABs. Learn lessons, move on, look for two or three wins in the 6N.

It's a real pity we don't have Japan first, then Argentina. Maybe I'm being mad optimistic but if we could have warmed up on Japan we'd have a chance against Argentina. Taking Argentina as the first game for this squad, first game for Tandy is probably way beyond us.

[UKHamlet]

Sad (but understandable) to see the ABs comments about a tough game against Ireland, should beat Scotland then England to secure the Grand Slam. A week before they play Wales. Still, excited to see what Tandy can do. He has a few more players at his disposal.

A Welsh team of a few years ago would be relishing playing the ABs when they're not firing on all cylinders. Now they're so far away from us as to be an alien lifeform. Small steps though. Give Japan a good seeing too, Argentina a good game for 80 minutes, try to concede less than 60 against the Boks, and 50 against the ABs. Learn lessons, move on, look for two or three wins in the 6N.

It's a real pity we don't have Japan first, then Argentina. Maybe I'm being mad optimistic but if we could have warmed up on Japan we'd have a chance against Argentina. Taking Argentina as the first game for this squad, first game for Tandy is probably way beyond us.

I had similar thoughts. We never seem to get warm-up games before the big boys. Everyone else does. The WRU just don't have their shit together. We are the warm-up act.

[normanski]

There’s often a new coach bounce in the first few games. Having lost narrowly and then beating Japan this summer I think the squad spirit will be in a much better place than this time last year.

Argentina are difficult to predict. Coming off the back of a tough Championship, on form they should beat us well. But who knows what we can conjure in the opening game.

It would be nice to think we could win two out of four.

[Son of Mathonwy]

There’s often a new coach bounce in the first few games. Having lost narrowly and then beating Japan this summer I think the squad spirit will be in a much better place than this time last year.

Argentina are difficult to predict. Coming off the back of a tough Championship, on form they should beat us well. But who knows what we can conjure in the opening game.

It would be nice to think we could win two out of four.

Despite what I say here I will begin watching the Argentina game with hope. How long it lasts . . . well here's hoping for a Tandy bounce. It's not impossible . . . LRZ might bring his US 'learnings' and blow them away.

[normanski]

There’s often a new coach bounce in the first few games. Having lost narrowly and then beating Japan this summer I think the squad spirit will be in a much better place than this time last year.

Argentina are difficult to predict. Coming off the back of a tough Championship, on form they should beat us well. But who knows what we can conjure in the opening game.

It would be nice to think we could win two out of four.

Despite what I say here I will begin watching the Argentina game with hope. How long it lasts . . . well here's hoping for a Tandy bounce. It's not impossible . . . LRZ might bring his US 'learnings' and blow them away.

At this stage, hope trumps pessimism and I’ve got to believe we can put on a much improved performance. As the opener draws closer, however, I will remember we always start slowly, usually going down by quite a few points at half time and then fading in the last quarter.

Oh FFS, my optimism has just been blown away.