The Wales rugby team faces a demanding November schedule in the inaugural Nations Championship, opening with matches against Japan, New Zealand, and Australia at Principality Stadium. After a challenging summer tour where they lost to Fiji, Argentina, and South Africa, Wales prepares for home tests against Eddie Jones' Japan side on November 7, followed by the All Blacks on November 14 and the Wallabies on November 21.
Head coach Tandy has named a 39-player squad for the November Tests, featuring uncapped Dragons duo Aneurin Owen and Che Hope, alongside Cardiff prop Rhys Barrett. Captain Dewi Lake leads the group, with Dragons lock Seb Davies and Cardiff number eight Taine Basham recalled for the first time. Notable absentees include Leicester flanker Tommy Reffell, scrum-half Kieran Hardy, and veteran number eight Taulupe Faletau due to injury. Fifteen players are based outside Wales, with 14 plying their trade in England and Montpellier lock Adam Beard in France.
The tournament structure includes a three-day play-off event at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham on the final weekend of November, determining the inaugural Nations Championship winner through a series of matches between ranked teams. A parallel Ryder-Cup style hemisphere title will also be contested, with points awarded based on play-off results. On the final weekend, sixth-place and third-place teams face off, followed by fifth-place and second-place matches, before the fourth-place and top-ranked sides compete for the title.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing