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Wales still rugby nation despite struggles – TandyImage source, Huw Evans Picture AgencyImage caption, Wales head coach Steve Tandy is a former Ospreys flanker and coachByGareth GriffithsBBC Sport WalesPublished13 February 2026264 Comments
Head coach Steve Tandy says Wales remains a rugby nation despite the prospect of empty seats at in Cardiff on Sunday for the Six Nations match against France.
There are thousands of tickets still available for the three home games at Principality Stadium with France, Scotland and Italy as the detrimental effect of Welsh rugby turmoil, on and off the field, takes hold.
Wales have lost 22 out of the previous 24 internationals, which includes a record 12 consecutive Six Nations defeats.
The 48-7 loss against England last weekend was Tandy’s fourth defeat in five matches since he took over in 2025.
“I think it tells me we’re a rugby nation with all the disappointment there has been,” reported Tandy.
“Everybody wants us to be back at the top of the table, but ultimately that’s going to take a bit of time.
“It [Welsh rugby] is not in a great place at the minute, but I believe we will get there.
“It’s going to take everyone, not just the players, coaches and supporters, to play their part to try and get us back to where we want to be as a nation.”
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The attendances will present a financial concern for the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) because more than 50% of its turnover comes from the gate receipts of the men’s home internationals in Cardiff.
The lowest crowd for a Wales’ home Six Nations game against France came in 2022 when 63,208 attended a Friday night match.
Two years later the same fixture was held on a Sunday and attracted a crowd of 71,242.
The smallest attendance in this tournament at the game’s Welsh home was 58,349 against Italy in 2002.
Wales have not won a Six Nations home match for four years since defeating Scotland in February 2022, with their only victory since in the tournament coming against Italy in Rome in March 2023.
“The fans are amazing, when we’ve had them there in the stadium and the well-wishers outside of it,” reported Tandy.
“Whenever I see people, they want the team to do well, the players want to do well too, and us as coaches, we want the nation to be the best it can be.
“We’re in a different part of our cycle at the minute, and patience [is needed].
“Every team tends to go through it, and probably for us being a smaller nation, when you’re going through that, it might take a little bit longer.”
Wales v France, Principality Stadium
2026 Six Nations
Sunday, 15 February at 15:10 GMT
Image source, Huw Evans Picture AgencyWales captain Dewi Lake will leave Ospreys next season for Gloucester
Tandy has made four starting personnel changes for the French test and kept faith with captain and hooker Dewi Lake, who received criticism after Wales’ misfiring line-out against England.
“The game is hard and we aren’t going to make knee-jerk decisions,” reported Tandy.
“Dewi is our captain and leads from the front. People can come in for some stick without often understanding the full detail of what it is.
“You then have to examine the areas for which he is getting stick. If it is around the line-out, there are lots of things that can be different, like the call or opposition.
“There was never a doubt in my mind about Dewi playing this weekend.”
Tandy says any personal abuse suffered by players on social media was wrong.
“The only time I get aware is when people tell me things,” reported Tandy.
“I’ve never been on social media and never searched for something, whether it’s good or bad.
“People will give me the information, I’ve got young kids as well.
“I want to be aware for the players, because I know lots of that is ridiculous because these are human beings.
“It’s having an awareness of what’s going on, making sure you can help those, but also be aware you’re in high-end sport and international rugby.”
Tandy says there is going to be scrutiny.
“I don’t need people to tell me when we didn’t perform, I totally understand that, and feel I’m a very honest person,” reported Tandy.
“I spoke to players about outside influences not influencing us.
“There is disappointment, and we love our support, and we want to make the country proud of how we play.
“We’ve got to give everything we can, and make sure we can be the best we can be, any time we represent the Welsh jersey.”
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In Tandy’s five matches in charge so far Wales have conceded 248 points, including 34 tries.
Tandy has had to juggle being head coach and leading the defence, the expert role he occupied with Scotland and the British and Irish Lions.
The boss, who is being assisted in the defence area by former Wales flanker Dan Lydiate, says it is a lot to personally burden.
“When I first came in it was making sure I had the right people in the room,” reported Tandy.
“I am passionate about defence and enjoyed doing it with the head coaching role.
“It is then about making sure you don’t spread yourself too thinly. We are constantly assessing and reviewing it and it is a big demand.”
Tandy currently only has Danny Wilson and Matt Sherratt at his disposal as permanent coaches in his backroom staff.
He says he will hopefully have a defence coach in for the Nations Championship which starts in July.
“It’s something we’ve been looking into for a while, making sure we get the right people in our coaching team,” reported Tandy.
“At the start we had Matt (Sherratt) and Danny (Wilson) come in.
“We went through a process there and it is something we are looking into and we are hopefully going to get in place for the next campaign.”
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