“You can’t just put it out of your mind.”

During Steve Tandy’s press conference to announce his squad for the 2026 Six Nations campaign there were more questions asked about the future of the regional game in Wales than on the players selected in the 38-man group.

It was a clear example of the state that Welsh rugby finds itself in ahead of an intense international campaign.

For Tandy’s part, he is a head coach first and foremost, but even he – a man of Ospreys, player first then coach as part of a 15-year association with the club – could not give a straight answer on the speculation around the future of the Swansea club.

Speak to any of the players involved in the Wales camp during the autumn and you get the sense that their new coach is a man who is willing to listen and adapt.

On a recent episode of the Sportin Wales Podcast, Rhys Carré, lured back to Wales after over two and a half years away by Tandy, spoke of the changes to weekly training schedules and changing rooms as having a ‘fresher’ feel.

Tandy has freshened up the squad slightly, albeit kept the core from his original squad together. The Six Nations is not the time for experimentation, even with two eye-catching uncapped players included.

The first, Gabe Hamer-Webb, is the most surprising name in the group. A winger of some skill and physicality, his move from Cardiff to Leicester last season took him off the radar of many a Welsh fan and pundit.

Add in the omission of Rio Dyer, perhaps the form flyer in Wales, scorer of four tries in Dragons’ recent winning run, and a popular figure in the Welsh rugby ecosystem, and it can be easy to paint Hamer-Webb as villain figure before he is given the chance to show his quality.

For former Wales wing Alex Cuthbert, Hamer-Webb has the talent and smarts to thrive in the international arena.

“Steve [Tandy] said in the press conference, that he liked the way chased kicks, he is very good aerially,” Cuthbert explains.

“Physical in the carry, too. I have to feel a bit unluck for Rio Dyer but he’s point of difference is a little bit different to Hamer-Webb’s.”

The other uncapped player is Bath centre Louie Hennessey. A star of the Wales U20s side of 2024, Hennessey does not always get the most minutes for his club, with three international regulars in Max Ojomoh, Ollie Lawrence, and Cameron Redpath ahead of him in the pecking order.

What Tandy has spotted, though, is his impact whenever Hennessey has given the chance to shine.

“It was brilliant having Louie in the autumn,” Tandy says of the 21-year-old.

“In fairness to him, I know he has limited opportunities with Bath, but every time he has an opportunity, he makes it count.

“He came on against Toulon and scored with more or less his first touch. Then against Exeter he came off the bench and had a big impact on the game. His work rate, how he is able to set up teammates, his mindset to everything is great.”

Perhaps the biggest boost to Tandy’s new regime is not a youngster coming through, it’s an old warhorse returning.

Tomas Francis, veteran of 77 caps at tighthead, three World Cups, and two Six Nations titles is back in a Wales squad for the first time since the 2023 World Cup, ahead of his move to Sale Sharks this summer.

Keiron Assiratti and Archie Griffin are talented players, but their inexperience was exposed against large packs in the autumn. With England and France first up, Wales need Francis to hit the ground running.

“The big one in the squad for me is the return of Tomas Francis,” Dillon Lewis says.

“The tightheads who primarily played in the autumn are not that experienced, especially at international level. Archie is still very young in particular. It’s brilliant to add to that experience that Franny [Francis] has.

“I’ve kept in contact with him and he said he’s dying to get back in that squad.”

“Franny has been great for Wales in the past,” Carré adds. “Obviously very experienced, knows what he’s got, and what he’s not.

“Does his job better than I’ve seen many people do. It’ll be great to have him back in camp for the younger lads to learn a bit off him.”

With these returning names, the list of players not selected shows that maybe Wales are not as lacking in depth as previously thought.

In particular, the prop positions look stronger than they have been in a while, while scrumhalf, flyhalf, and the back three are all now ultra-competitive positions.

With an average age of 26 and a half, there is plenty of room for this group to grow, having reached the halfway stage of the World Cup cycle.

And what of Wales’ opponents? Well, it will please absolutely no one this side of the Severn to hear that great rivals England are flying, and Wales face them first up at Twickenham

Steve Borthwick has harnessed his nations immense player depth to create a core of 30 plus world class performers and are on an 11-game winning streak.

They could feasibility field a back row of Tom Curry, Sam Underhill, and Ben Earl against Wales, and replace them with Ben Curry, Guy Pepper, and Henry Pollock. That is some South African level depth.

Speaking of, the reigning champs come to Cardiff in the second round with Fabien Galthie surprising everyone with his squad selections once again. Out go Gregory Aldritt, Gael Fickou, and Damian Penaud all Grand Slam winners and key parts of the best of France in recent times.

Faith has been placed in youth: Galthie has called up a clutch of young centres led by Toulouse’s much-heralded 20-year-old Kalvin Gourgues, who won his first cap against Australia in November.

Pau’s London-born, Olympic Sevens winning wing Aaron Grandider-Nkanang is also in and could take Penaud’s spot. Add in Romain Ntamack’s injury and the prospect of an Antoine Dupont-Mathieu Jalibert playmaking axis coming to town is set to excite home and away fans alike.

There are other injuries – even with Dupont back, the scrum-half stocks are low: Maxime Lucu and Nolan le Garrec are out with fitness issues.

Rounding out the three matches in three weeks slog is Scotland. A nearly side that makes up for their lack of winners medals with some of the most exciting individuals on the planet.

If Wales are on their money, they can beat Scotland at home.

Next in line are Ireland. Winners in 2023 and 2024, Andy Farrell’s men were expected to be the backbone of the British and Irish Lions’ squad last summer. However, injuries and age meant that Scottish and English faces played more influential parts in that success.

Still a squad full to the brim with match winning experience, Wales will hope that they can repeat their stirring performance of 2025 at the Aviva – not a place that holds many fond memories for Tandy’s men.

The final round then. Wales vs Italy. The last six meetings between these two are split three apiece. Too often in recent seasons has the success of Wales’ campaign come down to this one match.

Tandy will hope that his rejuvenated team, with an extra two months of training under him and his coaching staff will improve this talented group into test match winners.

The Six Nations, though, is unforgiving and remorseless.

If Wales suffer heavy defeats to England and France in the early rounds, and the uncertainty around the regional game bleeds onto the pitch, Tandy will need to become coach, counsellor, and friend to this group over the next two months.

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