Tandy's Wales prepare for challenging summer of travel

Wales' first two matches against Barbarians and 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 and 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 Nations Championship opener on 4 July with the game being played at the Cardiff City Stadium.

The south Sea Islanders are not playing their matches in their own country, with their games against England and 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 Nations Championship is a new competition pitting the best of the northern hemisphere against the best of the southern hemisphere in non-World Cup years.

Structure and 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 and 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.

Tandy initially named a 48-strong squad with six uncapped players including Exeter back rower Kane James and Harlequins centre Bryn Bradley, Dragons back-row duo Ryan Woodman and Harrison Keddie, Cardiff loose-head prop Rhys Barratt and Ospreys tight-head Ben Warren.

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

British and 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 back Louie Hennessey and Cardiff prop Keiron Assiratti pulled 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 and French-based clubs are unavailable for the Barbarians game because the match falls outside World Rugby's international window.

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

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

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

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.