Steve Tandy’s first public act as Wales head coach will see him name a squad for the autumn campaign in the coming weeksWales are back in action in November under new coach Steve Tandy(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd)

Steve Tandy’s first month in the Wales job has been an eventful one, to say the least.

The new Wales head coach started his post right as the consultation into the future of Welsh rugby began. Hardly ideal in terms of getting your feet under the table, with decisions being made on the number of professional teams moving forward.

But, in fairness to Tandy, he’s made a solid start to his role – getting around the clubs in his first month in charge.

Some within the clubs have noted they’ve already seen Tandy far more in the first 30 days than they ever saw Warren Gatland during his ill-fated second stint in charge of the national team.

That’s a solid first step, as is building his coaching staff. Danny Wilson and Matt Sherratt have been confirmed, with a suggestion Tandy’s first campaign will have a scaled-back coaching ticket that could be added to over time.

However, as the man himself will know, the first real public act of being Wales coach comes with naming a squad.

With the autumn curtain-raiser against Argentina on November 9, Tandy will likely name his squad late in October ahead of the squad meeting up.

The question is, who will be in Tandy’s first squad? Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.

The forwards

Starting in the pack, summer captain Dewi Lake should be joined by Cardiff hooker Evan Lloyd – who is looking in good form after missing the Japan tour in July.

Whether his club captain, Liam Belcher, is involved could depend on the severity of Elliot Dee’s injury – with the Dragons’ man forced off against Ulster on Friday night.

Moving across to loosehead, Leicester’s Nicky Smith and Ospreys‘ Gareth Thomas are nailed on. Finding a third option is a little trickier.

Ospreys prop Garyn Phillips was that man in the summer, while Scarlets‘ Kemsley Mathias was involved in the Six Nations. Beyond that, Cardiff prop Rhys Barratt was a travelling reserve for Wales in Edinburgh earlier this year, while club team-mate Ioan Emanuel was Wales U20s starting loosehead in the Six Nations.

On the tighthead, Archie Griffin remains Wales’ best option – even if he struggles for minutes at Bath. Scarlets front-row Henry Thomas missed the summer through injury, but should feature.

Cardiff’s Keiron Assiratti also probably makes the cut.

Second-row could look a little different from the summer, given the players set to return.

Dafydd Jenkins is back from injury, which is huge for Wales. Sherratt had also tried to convince Adam Beard to tour Japan ahead of his move to France, with his graft and lineout nous desperately needed.

Teddy Williams should keep his place, but the likes of Freddie Thomas, Ben Carter and James Ratti could miss out.

Will Rowlands could also come back into the mix, although there could be an argument to look at younger options. James Fender would be one option, but the size of his Ospreys team-mate Rhys Davies is something Wales don’t really have right now.

In the back-row, Jac Morgan returns following his Lions heroics, joining the likes of Tommy Reffell, Aaron Wainwright and Taulupe Faletau. Join WalesOnline Rugby’s WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free

This is where things get difficult. The likes of Alex Mann and Josh Macleod were starters in the summer, while Morgan Morse was desperately close to a call-up – with the player informed he was set to be included. It’s a matter of when, not if, for the young Ospreys back-row.

However, Taine Plumtree’s cameo in Kobe demonstrated the point of difference he offers, while Ross Moriarty’s return to Wales – having fallen out of favour under Gatland – could provide experience and power.

As ever with the back-row, someone of real quality is going to miss out.

The backs

In the backline, Tomos Williams is another welcome addition back into the fold. Kieran Hardy started both Tests in the summer and although he wasn’t too convincing in those Tests, he probably still makes the squad.

Rhodri Williams didn’t feature in Japan, but Ospreys’ scrum-half Reuben Morgan-Williams made an impression off the bench in the win in Kobe.

With the fly-half situation, Dan Edwards looked the part in Kobe and should be trusted with the jersey for the autumn. Sam Costelow would be a shout, but the Scarlets playmaker has struggled to implement his game at Test level.

Harlequins fly-half Jarrod Evans could come back into the frame, with Sherratt believing the former Cardiff fly-half offers something few others do in Welsh rugby.

Ben Thomas can cover fly-half as well as centre, meaning there’s depth there. The 12 jersey has largely belonged to the Cardiff playmaker, although Tandy may have other ideas on what he wants from an inside centre.

Eddie James’ injury rules out one hard-carrying option, but the form of Keiran Williams – often overlooked by Gatland – could bring him into the frame. Max Llewellyn is another candidate. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here.

If Tandy does favour a ball-player at 12, he return of Joe Hawkins offers another playmaking option.

Johnny Williams and Joe Roberts toured in the summer and could well retain their places. Macs Page, having not managed to make his debut in the summer, will be another option.

Don’t rule out Joe Jenkins or Louie Hennessey across the bridge, either.

Moving into the back-three, the return of Louis Rees-Zammit turns this into a real area of strength for Tandy.

Blair Murray was the breakthrough player of last season, while Josh Adams was back to his best in Japan.

Tom Rogers has been a solid performer for Wales, while Keelan Giles looked good on his long-awaited Wales debut and deserves another chance.

There’s countless others knocking at the door, with Ellis Mee, Rio Dyer and Josh Hathaway all options.

Liam Williams is back playing rugby with Newcastle Red Bulls, while Jacob Beetham could feature more this season and looks a Test player in terms of profile, but Cam Winnett is relatively established at this point.

Possible 35-man Wales autumn squad

Forwards: Dewi Lake, Evan Lloyd, Elliot Dee/Liam Belcher, Nicky Smith, Gareth Thomas, Kemsley Mathias, Archie Griffin, Henry Thomas, Keiron Assiratti, Dafydd Jenkins, Adam Beard, Will Rowlands, Teddy Williams, Rhys Davies, Jac Morgan (c), Tommy Reffell, Aaron Wainwright, Taulupe Faletau, Taine Plumtree, Ross Moriarty.

Backs: Tomos Williams, Kieran Hardy, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Dan Edwards, Jarrod Evans, Ben Thomas, Joe Hawkins, Joe Roberts, Max Llewellyn, Johnny Williams, Josh Adams, Louis Rees-Zammit, Tom Rogers, Keelan Giles, Blair Murray, Cam Winnett.