Wales Rugby Union Head Coach Steve Tandy has named his squad for the 2026 Six Nations Championship, bringing back prop Tomas Francis and including Bath centre Louie Hennessey in a selection that sees several changes from the autumn tour. Prop Francis, who last played international rugby in the 2023 World Cup quarter-final defeat by Argentina, will provide experience to the front row alongside his Sale Sharks teammate Keiron Assiratti and Leicester's Archie Griffin.
Bath centre Louie Hennessey, an uncapped player, is among six players that have earned their first cap this year, including Leicester wing Gabriel Hamer-Webb, who qualifies for Wales through his mother. The 38-man squad includes 13 English and French-based players with the majority being from the top clubs in both countries.
There are several notable absentees including Rio Dyer, Tommy Reffell, Nick Tompkins and Callum Sheedy. Taulupe Faletau and Max Llewellyn will also miss out due to injury. This year's tournament will be an important one for Wales as they look to break their losing streak against England, who have been the dominant force in the Six Nations since 2008.
Wales' head coach Steve Tandy has expressed his excitement about assembling a new-look squad that brings different dynamics and competition. He believes that having several players competing for positions will help him identify the best players to form a strong unit before the tournament begins next February.
Tandy also praised captain Dewi Lake, who will lead Wales again this year, calling him an outstanding leader who is passionate about Wales and his role in the team.
Bath centre Louie Hennessey, an uncapped player, is among six players that have earned their first cap this year, including Leicester wing Gabriel Hamer-Webb, who qualifies for Wales through his mother. The 38-man squad includes 13 English and French-based players with the majority being from the top clubs in both countries.
There are several notable absentees including Rio Dyer, Tommy Reffell, Nick Tompkins and Callum Sheedy. Taulupe Faletau and Max Llewellyn will also miss out due to injury. This year's tournament will be an important one for Wales as they look to break their losing streak against England, who have been the dominant force in the Six Nations since 2008.
Wales' head coach Steve Tandy has expressed his excitement about assembling a new-look squad that brings different dynamics and competition. He believes that having several players competing for positions will help him identify the best players to form a strong unit before the tournament begins next February.
Tandy also praised captain Dewi Lake, who will lead Wales again this year, calling him an outstanding leader who is passionate about Wales and his role in the team.
! i've been following wales rugby for ages and they really need a win against england to break that losing streak 
. steve tandy's squad looks pretty strong with some new faces like louie hennessey from bath centre 
. hope he can bring some fresh energy to the team. captain dewi lake is a great leader, i've seen him play and he's always so passionate about wales 
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still got a lot of faith in tandy and his squad to make it count this year 
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. but at least they've got some new talent like louie hennessey from bath... how's he doing in the premiership? 
also, taulupe faletau's injury is a bummer 
do u think wales will be able to break that losing streak against england? 
It's also interesting that Taulupe Faletau won't be making an appearance due to injury, as his absence will likely be felt in the back row. 
The absentees list is quite lengthy, though - hope they're all on track for recovery soon! 
They're bringing back Tomas Francis and adding Louie Hennessey, which is like a dream come true! 
And can you believe they've got 6 newbies getting their first caps? That's like, totally awesome news! 
I mean, sure, there are some notable absences, but Tandy's all about bringing in fresh talent and competition, which can only make the team stronger, right? 
. It's all about finding that balance and competition in the squad, you know? With captain Dewi Lake leading the way, hopefully they can break their losing streak against England 
. And adding Louie Hennessey to the mix could really bring some excitement to their centre spot 
οΈ. But yeah, it's always tough when you see players like Rio Dyer and Tommy Reffell missing out due to injuries 
. Can't wait to see how it all plays out!
, but it looks like they're focusing on bringing back experience with prop Tomas Francis 
and center Louie Hennessey gets his first cap 
! 13 English & French-based players makes sense, gotta give them a good mix of talent 
. Not sure what's going on with Rio Dyer though 
and how they perform against England 
And I'm so down for Dewi Lake being captain, he seems like a great leader 
On the other hand, Tomas Francis is back and that's awesome... I mean, who doesn't love an old prop coming back to save the day? 
But seriously, can we please get some consistency in our team selection? It's like they're trying to confuse us on purpose! 
and I gotta say, I'm loving the changes Steve Tandy's made! Bringing back Tomas Francis and adding Louie Hennessey from Bath will definitely bring some fresh blood to the team. It'll be interesting to see how Gabriel Hamer-Webb's addition affects their attack 
. steve tandy's got some big shoes to fill, but captain dewi lake is an awesome leader 