Steve Tandy has indicated he will consider making changes to his Wales side for next week's Nations Championship clash with Argentina, citing the logistical demands of travel. His team secured a 39-24 victory over Fiji at Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday, but Tandy acknowledged that the upcoming fixture in Argentina presents unique challenges.
Tandy on Travel and Selection
“We'll probably have one session in Argentina together,” Tandy said. “There'll be separate flights over there. Then in South Africa, we might get two in. But again, it's something that we're looking at.” He added that squad depth allows for management of physical demands: “I think we're getting competitive so there are certain positions I think we can probably manage things because they are physical. We've seen the physicality today, and I think both teams... it's unbelievable with how they put their bodies on the line. It's something we are definitely looking at.”
Dewi Lake: Victory at Cardiff City Stadium Special
Wales captain Dewi Lake, a Cardiff City fan, relished leading the team to victory at the home of his beloved football club. He noted that the win marked Wales' second successive Test victory for the first time since the 2023 World Cup. “It's unbelievable any time you get to pull that jersey on for us to get and the win in the end as well,” said Lake. “I know for some boys in that room it's their first Test match win in a long time - maybe their first Test match winning in the jersey at all. So, I think building that experience of winning and that feeling of winning and of it becoming a habit for us, is really important as well.”
Lake praised his side's physicality and set-piece dominance: “Look, they're a physical team. I think a lot of players previously have spoken about Fiji being one of the toughest and most physical teams. When your body comes off the field, you know you've played in Test match. I think the set piece today - our dominance in that made things a lot easier for us. But look, I think we were physical as well. I think when we had the ball, we dominated collisions, we got on the front foot.” He also highlighted team unity: “I think being in our third campaign together as a group now, everybody's massively bonded. We know each other on and off the field. So I think in those little moments when you get a little win, or when something goes your way, it's easy to kind of go and hug your mate and get together because we care a lot about each other off the field as well as on it.”
Dan Biggar: Important Foundation Laid
Former Wales fly-half Dan Biggar, working as a pundit for ITV, described the victory as an important foundation for the upcoming tours to Argentina and South Africa. “We've been really critical of this team over the last couple of years,” Biggar said. “So today the coaching staff, the players, everyone involved deserves a huge pat on the back. Yes they could have gone behind early doors with Fiji having the opportunities they had. But when they got the ball game going, when they got the set-piece game going. That's what we said before the game 'can they out-ball Fiji?' and 'can they out-set-piece Fiji?' I think that's a really important victory for Welsh rugby. They managed to get a game plan on the pitch and execute it. This team isn't used to winning. So to win two Test matches in a row plus the Barbarians game, it helps with what's to come in Argentina and South Africa.”
England Criticised After Loss to South Africa
In other rugby news, former England fly-half Paul Grayson criticised England's second-half performance in their 17-0 defeat to South Africa at Ellis Park. The loss extended England's losing run to five games, increasing pressure on head coach Steve Borthwick. “The second half was hardly a contest,” Grayson told BBC Radio 5 Live. “England never got a foothold in the game and because of that their attack was bits and pieces. South Africa smashed the door down, rarely played more than a couple of phases but squeezed the life out of England. They were uncomplicated and uncompromising.” The Springboks led 17-0 inside 11 minutes before tries from Ellis Genge and George Martin offered brief hope, but South Africa scored three more tries after the break to seal a dominant victory.
