Wales have welcomed a familiar face back into the fold, with tighthead prop Sam Wainwright called up to the national squad following an injury to Cardiff colleague Keiron Assiratti. Wainwright, who has four international caps, had not featured under Pivac’s successor Warren Gatland, but current head coach Steve Tandy moved quickly to bolster his options after naming his initial 38-man squad for the 2026 Six Nations, which opens with a February 7 trip to England.
Keiron Assiratti, Archie Griffin and the recalled Tomas Francis—last seen at Rugby World Cup 2023—were initially Tandy’s selections at loosehead prop. However, Assiratti suffered a calf injury in Cardiff’s United Rugby Championship victory over Benetton last Saturday, forcing Tandy to act.
With training now underway at Wales’ Vale of Glamorgan base, Wainwright has been drafted in despite having started only two of his seven appearances for Cardiff this season following his summer move from the Scarlets. He began his professional career in England with Saracens and Ampthill before moving to Parc y Scarlets and made his Wales debut on the 2022 tour to South Africa. That tour proved to be his last international involvement until now, after Pivac’s sudden departure later that year.
“It’s obviously disappointing for Keiron, but that gives an opportunity for Sam, and we’re delighted for him to join the group,” said Tandy, who took charge for the first time during the recent Autumn Nations Series. Wales endured heavy defeats to Argentina, New Zealand and South Africa, although they salvaged a late win against Japan.
Despite a testing autumn, captain Dewi Lake is optimistic that Tandy’s arrival has re-energised the squad. Tandy joined from Scotland, where he served as defence coach under Gregor Townsend, taking over from interim coach Matt Sherratt, who stepped in after Gatland’s departure last February.
“I’m feeling great with the new coaching set-up and the new faces,” Lake said at Monday’s Six Nations launch. “It has been a breath of fresh air for us as a group. The passion and energy the new coaching staff bring has filtered down into the players and the environment. We are excited to get started. The level of detail the coaches bring is only going to make us better as players and drive performances on the field.”
Looking ahead to Wales’ opening fixture in England, Lake emphasised the intensity of the challenge. “It’s unbelievable, Wales against England away from home as a first fixture. The hostility you face from the crowd, even arriving on the bus, is something special. That rivalry is still as big as ever, and it’s a great game for us to target.
“Momentum is crucial in this competition. A strong performance in game one against Italy could set the tone for the opening three fixtures before the break.”
