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Wales name record nine England-based players for Japan match

Summarised from BristolLive's report · Updated 5 Nov, 22:04 · Archive

Wales coach Steve Tandy has selected a record nine players based in England for the Nations Championship match against Japan. The squad includes Gloucester's Dewi Lake, Jac Morgan and Max Llewellyn, plus Louis Rees-Zammit (Bristol), Tomos Williams (Saracens), Nicky Smith (Sale), Archie Griffin (Bath), Dafydd Jenkins (Exeter) and Aaron Wainwright (Leicester). Three additional English-based players are named on the bench.

Tandy defended the selection by noting that Wales' best players should be picked regardless of where they play. "It shows that our players are in demand and that other leagues value them," he said. "What's encouraging is that many of them are performing really well in those environments." The coach acknowledged that while he would prefer all Welsh players to be based in Wales, the current reality means selecting from overseas. The selection represents a significant shift since the eligibility rule for England-based players was relaxed in February 2023.

One practical challenge Tandy highlighted is the logistical difficulty when players must return to English clubs for weekend matches before international fixtures. Wales' England-based contingent trained at their Vale of Glamorgan base before leaving to prepare for Gallagher Premiership fixtures last week, then returned after the weekend to prepare for Japan and the subsequent Nations Championship matches against New Zealand and Australia.

Wales name record nine England-based players for Japan match
Image: BristolLive

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In this story: Steve Tandy · Wales · Japan · England · Gloucester · Bristol

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