First Away Victory for Tandy
Wales head coach Steve Tandy secured his first 'away' victory as he led his team to a 6-try win over Fiji at the Cardiff City Stadium. Tandy expressed immense pride in his players' performance, highlighting their relentless effort and resilience.
Player and Team Performance
“Really proud of the boys. I thought the effort they showed. It wasn't always perfect and you've got to give credit to Fiji, because they produced some magical stuff,” Tandy said. He praised the goal-line defence and set-piece, noting improvements from the Six Nations. The return of Rhys Carre and debut of Ben Warren were also significant.
Scramble Defence and Opportunities
On the scramble defence, Tandy commented, “Scramble defence was good. Their offloads. I thought we probably had a couple of opportunities we should have probably done more with as well.” He acknowledged Fiji's quality players and moments but emphasized Wales' control in the second half.
Six Tries and Set-Piece Strength
“Scoring six tries is outstanding for the boys and I love it when it comes from set-piece as well. It's not exactly Fijian-style rugby,” Tandy stated. He credited the players for executing the tactical plan and noted the impact of the bench, which added confidence.
Fitness and Hard Edge
Tandy highlighted the team's fitness: “The boys work hard. You won't ask this group to work any harder every day.” He emphasized that training intensity and competition among players are key to improvement.
Looking Ahead to Argentina and South Africa
With limited training sessions ahead of matches in Argentina and South Africa, Tandy acknowledged the need to manage player workloads. “We'll probably have one session in Argentina together. There'll be separate flights over there. Then in South Africa, we might get two in,” he explained. He stressed the importance of staying grounded and focusing on continuous improvement.
Conclusion
Tandy concluded, “We'll review, we'll go back, we'll enjoy this moment... We won't be getting carried away with anything or looking on the outside, we're going to keep looking in at how we can get better.” The team aims to build on set-piece success and grow their game for the upcoming Tests.
