New Tandy era aims to lift Wales from doldrums

Dave Reddin, Jac Morgan, Steve Tandy and Richard Collier-Keywood lead the bid to improve Welsh rugby fortunes

Autumn Nations Series: Wales v Argentina

Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff Date: Sunday, 9 November Kick-off: 15:10 GMT

Coverage: Commentary on BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and live text on BBC Sport online.

The Steve Tandy era starts today in Cardiff against Argentina with Welsh rugby hoping for an urgent reset.

The Welsh game is in disarray and needs some sort of feelgood factor.

Off the field, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) needs to demonstrate to supporters they can run the game effectively after recent controversies has resulted in public distrust towards the governing body.

On the field, the Welsh public want to see a men's national side restore an identity and eventually return to winning ways, after a recently-ended record 18-match losing run which has seen them slip to 12th in the world.

Welsh fans will hope the arrival of new head coach Tandy can help inspire the start of that process.

New man aims to put Wales back on world map

After ending the horrid run of defeats with victory against Japan in Kobe in their second summer Test, Wales now usher in a new era with Tandy the first Welshman to become the permanent coach of the national team since Gareth Jenkins left office in 2007.

Be tough, brave and smart. That has been the fresh motto with buzz words including 'identity' and 'connections'.

Tandy was a no-nonsense flanker during his playing days and the former Scotland and British and Irish Lions defence coach has made a positive impression in his first few weeks in charge.

The 45-year-old has brought a fresh outlook to how Wales operate and hopes to translate that to the pitch by reawakening a once proud rugby nation.

But he can not be expected to work miracles. Any improvement will be gradual and Tandy deserves time to try and turn Welsh rugby's flagging fortunes around.

Tandy is inheriting a squad not used to success with the Welsh regions, and has named 11 players based in England and France in his first matchday 23.

One of those is returning Saracens prop Rhys Carre, who makes his first appearance since 2023 after falling out of favour with previous Wales coach Warren Gatland and his perceived unavailability under the WRU's 25-cap selection policy.

With a loophole in the rules discovered, Carre returns to start, while the biggest cheer of the day might be reserved for when Bristol wing Louis Rees-Zammit enters the field from the replacements bench.

Rees-Zammit is back after an 18-month spell in the NFL at the Kansas City Chiefs and the Jacksonville Jaguars and has been grabbing the headlines again.

Wales desperately need a good news story and positive press. Maybe the man known as "LRZ" could provide that.

Welsh rugby crisis as teams threatened with cull

Another season has presented another crisis in Welsh rugby. Two-and-a-half years on from Wales players stepping back from taking strike action before a Six Nations fixture against England, the domestic game is in turmoil again with the WRU proposing plans to cut one of the nation's four regions.

The governing body announced the policy of cutting one of the four professional sides a couple of days before the squad assembled under Tandy for the first time.

In April the governing body were still suggesting they could fund four professional sides equally. By August, the preference had dropped to two sides and two months later, three is now the optimal number.

How they get there or by what date remains unclear, meaning there remains major uncertainty for players.

The WRU has confirmed it plans to grant three licences for men's clubs - one for Cardiff, one in the east and one in the west. That means Ospreys and Scarlets could be set to do battle for WRU funding and the licence in the west.

This leaves some Welsh players preparing for autumn internationals wondering whether they will have a club next season or where they might be playing.

The players and coaches are trying to talk publicly about controlling what happens on the field, attempting to solely concentrate on rugby matters.

We wait to see whether the issues have a negative effect but it will take strong characters to put such matters to the back of their minds.

Will fans vote with their feet?

Wales are hoping to turn the Principality Stadium back into a home fortress, having not won an international in Cardiff for 27 months.

Since beating England in a World Cup warm-up match in August 2023, Wales have suffered nine straight home Test defeats, a losing record which has stretched back 827 days.

The most recent Wales game in Cardiff was eight months ago - the horrific 68-14 home Six Nations defeat inflicted by England.

That was a record loss for the hosts in the Welsh capital, the most points they have conceded at the Principality Stadium, their heaviest Six Nations defeat, a record loss in the tournament and most points conceded against England.

So Wales have to make amends in a ground that is no longer a fortress. Tandy's side face Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa in November, before home 2026 Six Nations matches against France, Scotland and Italy, in a tournament where Wales last won a home match in February 2022.

How many fans will turn up to watch Tandy's side this month remains to be seen with the current discontent surrounding the Welsh game.

The Principality Stadium's capacity is 74,500, meaning the four matches could attract a maximum of 298,000 supporters in November.

Wales' clash against the All Blacks is currently the only game close to being a sellout.

There have been numerous anecdotal stories about some tickets now being available at a discounted rate and even being given away for free.

It is the WRU's responsibility to try and attract back the fans who have drifted away disillusioned with what they have witnessed on the field and read about off it.

World Cup permutations

Wales held an open training session at the Principality Stadium in front of more than 6,000 supporters

There is something tangible at stake this November. Wales will be among teams looking to pick up crucial ranking points before the draw for the 2027 Rugby World Cup on 3 December.

Sides will be drawn into six pools of four for the group stage of the tournament in Australia.

The top six sides in the world rankings will be placed in band one for the draw and would therefore avoid playing each other in the pool stage, while the next six sides will form the second band.

Wales are currently 12th and will want to stay in the top dozen to avoid falling out of the second group of teams and therfore facing an even trickier World Cup draw.

Victory against Japan in the second autumn fixture is essential to achieve this in a crucial game with regards to World Cup seedings.

The Brave Blossoms won the first summer Test between the two sides before Wales took the second and sit directly below Tandy's side in the world rankings.

Tough times ahead

Before that Japan date, Argentina arrive in Cardiff today as firm favourites. Los Pumas are sixth in the world rankings and fresh from some outstanding results in the Rugby Championship where Felipe Contepomi's side recorded historic victories against Australia and New Zealand.

The battle-hardened matchday squad have 944 caps between them, more than 400 more than Wales possess.

Wales will also face the best two sides in the world to conclude the campaign with New Zealand and world champions South Africa arriving in Cardiff on successive weekends.

The final game against the Springboks is outside World Rugby's international window which means Wales will be without their players based in England and France.

It also clashes with a United Rugby Championship (URC) league weekend where the four Welsh professional sides will be without their internationals.

So the next few weeks will provide more testing times on and off the pitch as the battle to win hearts and minds intensifies.

Tandy's team will search for some success and the WRU aim to somehow map out Welsh rugby's future.

Welsh fans just need something to hold onto - that things can and will be different in the future after the exhausting soap opera of the past few years.

They will hope that process starts today.