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Tandy's Wales prepare for challenging summer of travel

Tandy's Wales prepare for challenging summer of travel

Steve Tandy is preparing for his third campaign in charge of Wales having won two out of nine internationals so far

Welsh domestic rugby might have finished at the end of May. there is very little rest for the national men's side.

Steve Tandy's Wales team face four matches in successive weekends with the rugby season lasting until mid-July.

The uncapped men's. women'sdouble-header against Barbarianson 27 June at the Allianz Stadium, will be followed by three games in the new against Fiji, Argentina and South Africa in July.

After four Six Nations defeats. Wales completed the tournament with ahome victory against Italybut still finished bottom for a third successive year.

BBC Sport Wales looks at what is in store during the next month.

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Wales' first two matches against Barbarians. Fiji are being staged on these shores but not being played at the Principality Stadium.

The Cardiff showpiece venue is hosting two major concerts with Take That having played last week. Metallica staging a gig on Sunday, 28 June - a day after Wales travel to face the invitational Baa-Baas side in south-west London.

It would be wrong, however, to think the American rockers had forced Tandy's side out of their traditional home.

Wales are the 'away' side for both matches. with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) saying they were never planning to play games at the Principality Stadium this summer.

So Fiji are the 'home' side for the opener on 4 July with the game beingplayed at the Cardiff City Stadium.

The Fijians are not playing matches in their own country, with their games against England. Scotland being staged at Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool - the new home of Everton FC - and Murrayfield respectively.

This will be a first Wales rugby international staged at the home of the Cardiff City football side. with this occasion being the only chance for the Welsh public to see Tandy's side play in Wales this summer.

The is a competition pitting the best of the northern hemisphere against the best of the southern hemisphere in non-World Cup years.

Structure. formal competition have been brought to what were previously one-off Test matches and series happening in the summer and autumn.

In July, the sides making up the Six Nations will each travel to play three of Argentina, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Fiji. Japan.

In November, that will be reversed as Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland, France and Italy host three games each.

So Wales will host Japan, New Zealand and Australia at the Principality Stadium in the autumn.

Results will go towards two league tables, one for the northern sides and one for the southern.

At the end of the six rounds. nations will play the equivalent-ranked team in the other table, with points awarded to each hemisphere based on the results to determine who rules rugby union.

The two best sides in each table will meet in the final at Allianz Stadium at the end of November to crown an outright winner on a weekend where all 12 sides will be involved.

The first part of the tournament this summer will provide logistical challenges for Wales as they prepare to fly more than 12,000 miles in a couple of weeks.

Tandy's side open the tournament in Cardiff before travelling more than 7,000 miles to face Argentina in San Juan seven days later.

Wales will then face the 5,300-mile trip across five time zones to Durban to play world champions South Africa on 18 July.

The tournament might not be one for sustainability advocates,. Welsh professional clubs already play in a United Rugby Championship (URC) competition where they will travel 6,000 miles for a league game.

Tandy says there will be no excuses and has urged his squad to embrace the challenges.

Tandy initiallynamed a 48-strong squadwith six uncapped players including Exeter back-rowerKane Jamesand Harlequins centre Bryn Bradley, Dragons back-row duo Ryan Woodman andHarrison Keddie, Cardiff loose-head prop Rhys Barratt. Ospreys tight-head Ben Warren.

There were recalls for Dragons prop Dillon Lewis, Leicester flanker Tommy Reffell, Scarlets centre Joe Roberts. Cardiff scrum-half Ellis Bevan.

British. Irish Lions flanker Jac Morgan, Cardiff lock Teddy Williams and centre Max Llewellyn were included after missing the Six Nations because of injury.

The squad has since been cut by two players after Bath backLouie Hennesseyand Cardiff propKeiron Assirattipulled out because of injury.

Tandy has had access to players at different times with the Welsh sides all finishing their domestic campaigns by the end of May.

However, the 13 players from English. French-based clubs are unavailable for the Barbarians game because the match falls outside World Rugby's international window.

Morgan, Dewi Lake. Aaron Wainwright - who will link up with English clubs next season - are available to play.

The Baa-Baas, who will have Wales great George North in their side, lost 80-31 against South Africa last Saturday.

After the Barbarians game, the Wales squad will be reduced further for the .

Forwards (26):Rhys Barratt. Rhys Carre, Nicky Smith, Gareth Thomas, Liam Belcher Ryan Elias, Dewi Lake, Evan Lloyd, Dillon Lewis, Sam Wainwright, Ben Warren, Adam Beard, Ben Carter, Dafydd Jenkins, Freddie Thomas, Teddy Williams, Ryan Woodman, James Botham, Olly Cracknell, Kane James, Harrison Keddie, Alex Mann, Jac Morgan, Taine Plumtree, Tommy Reffell, Aaron Wainwright.

Backs (20):Ellis Bevan. Kieran Hardy, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Tomos Williams Sam Costelow, Dan Edwards, Jarrod Evans, Bryn Bradley, Ben Thomas, Joe Hawkins, Eddie James, Max Llewellyn, Joe Roberts, Josh Adams, Mason Grady, Gabriel Hamer-Webb, Ellis Mee, Blair Murray, Louis Rees-Zammit, Tom Rogers.

Barbarians vWales, Allianz Stadium, Twickenham (14:00 BST)

Fiji vWales, Cardiff City Stadium, (14:10 BST)

Argentina vWales, Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario, San Juan (20:10 BST)

South Africa vWales, Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban (16:40 BST).

**Author: Nations Championship**

Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/articles/c0ryz1zpxvqo

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