🏉 Exciting times for Wales Rugby! Steve Tandy’s got big plans for the final Six Nations match against Italy this Saturday in Cardiff. For the first time since taking over, he’s sticking with an unchanged starting XV, aiming to break a 1,099-day winless streak in the tournament. With a strong showing recently against Scotland and Ireland, it seems like there’s a new energy in the squad!
The only bench switch sees Blair Murray stepping in for newbie Louie Hennessey. It’s the most stable Wales lineup we’ve seen in nearly seven years, reminiscent of the 2019 World Cup match against Australia. In the pack, Aaron Wainwright’s fitness was a minor worry, but he’s all set to start after proving his mettle in Dublin. Also, the fly-half situation caused a bit of nail-biting; Sam Costelow is out with an ankle issue, keeping Dan Edwards at the helm for his fourth game.
Keeping the backline solid, Tandy resisted tempting changes, leaving Louis Rees-Zammit and Eddie James in their groove. Unchanged teams are a rare sight for Wales, with the last two interim coaches making changes every game. This newfound consistency might just be the game-changer!
Tandy says, “An unchanged team shows our group’s cohesion and performance consistency. We’re amped to up our game this weekend.” And there’s nothing like that home crowd buzz at Principality Stadium to fuel the fire.
While a win would stave off the wooden spoon for us, it could mark Italy’s best Six Nations campaign ever. So, it’s all to play for this weekend! 🌟
Wales Starting XV:
– Backs: Louis Rees-Zammit, Ellis Mee, Eddie James, Joe Hawkins, Josh Adams; Dan Edwards, Tomos Williams
– Forwards: Rhys Carre, Dewi Lake (c), Tomas Francis, Dafydd Jenkins, Ben Carter, Alex Mann, James Botham, Aaron Wainwright
Bench: Ryan Elias, Nicky Smith, Archie Griffin, Adam Beard, Olly Cracknell, Kieran Hardy, Sam Costelow, Blair Murray
Can’t wait to see the lads in action! 💪🏴