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Steve Tandy insists Wales must accept England-based staff selection after naming a record nine players stationed abroad as his own Nations Championship conflict with Japan.
Gloucester trio of Dewi Lake, Jac Morgan and Max Llewellyn join Louis Rees-Zammit (Bristol), Tomos Williams (Saracens), Nicky Smith (Sale), Archie Griffin (Bath), Dafydd Jenkins (Exeter) and Aaron Wainwright (Leicester) in the starting XV.
Three more Gallagher Prem players are on the bench and the selection represents a huge change since the 60-game rule was dropped to 25 games in February 2023 to allow players to still play for Wales.
Just six England players were in Wales’ 33-man squad for the 2023 World Cup in France.
“At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where they play, the best players will be selected,” Wales coach Tandy said.
“It shows that our players are in demand and that other leagues appreciate them.
“What’s encouraging is that many of them are doing really well in those environments.
“Of course I would like every Welsh player to be based in Wales, but that is not the reality of the situation at the moment.
“We can either complain about having 20 players playing abroad, or we can recognize the advantages. There are always positives, although there are also things that we potentially lose.”
One major downside is that the Wales contingent trained in England at their Vale of Glamorgan base before going halfway last week to prepare for the Gallagher Prem games.
They came back after the weekend to prepare Japan and the rest of the November schedule, which also includes matches against New Zealand and Australia and Nations Championship final weekend at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.
Explaining the need to align with England teams, Tandy said: “There are logistical challenges, especially when players have to return to their clubs to play the weekend before the internationals.
“But they come back with different experiences, things they’ve learned and a lot of motivation to represent Wales. I’ve experienced moving abroad myself and learned a lot from that.”
“As coaches, we make a real effort to stay connected with the players outside of camp.
“This includes traveling to see them, talking on the phone, taking them out to dinner or meeting them for coffee.
“I also talk regularly with their head coaches to understand how they are progressing, where they are doing well and what areas they need to develop.”
Tandy begins his second full season in charge against Japan, one of three teams Wales have beaten during his 12-month reign – Italy and Fiji to be second.
Wales have lost nine games under Tandy but he believes expectations are “probably” rising after the improved performance.
He said: “It’s been a great 12 months and the biggest difference is the continuity within the coaching group.
“The standard of training has risen to another level, which is the result of consistency in training and consistency in the playing group.
“We’re really excited about the fall series.”
