Steve Tandy has acknowledged that Wales are placing an unusually heavy load on scrum-half Tomos Williams, with the British and Irish Lions number nine again set to carry the bulk of the minutes when New Zealand visit Cardiff on Saturday.
Williams played the full 80 minutes in Wales’ 28-21 win over Japan, while back-up Reuben Morgan-Williams stayed on the bench unused. It is a pattern that has defined the Tandy era: Williams has started 12 of the 13 Tests since Tandy took charge and has finished five of them.
“It is a big balance to strike,” Tandy said as he prepared his side for the Nations Championship fixture at Principality Stadium. “When one of your best players, a British and Irish Lion, is in that position, there probably is an over-demand on Tomos.”
The numbers back up the coach’s assessment. Across the 12 internationals Williams has started under Tandy, the replacement scrum-half has been used for just 48 minutes in total, an average of four minutes per game. Williams has gone the full 80 minutes on five occasions and averages 74.3 minutes per Test, a figure that includes two yellow cards.
The imbalance has been even sharper in 2026. Over the past nine Tests, the players picked as bench cover for Williams have played a combined 30 minutes, with Williams starting every match and completing four of them.
“There is a massive reliance on Tomos, you can’t run away from that,” Tandy said. “Most teams are reliant on big players and Tomos loves playing. If you look at getting a rhythm, Tomos loves playing rugby. Being taken off, not that it is an issue, but at Saracens, it’s probably more of a rotation policy. Some boys like being in the groove, while some can handle that rotation policy. But at the minute, he’s in a great space.”
The only Test Williams has not started under Tandy was the 73-0 thrashing by South Africa in November 2025. That match fell outside World Rugby’s international window, leaving England-based club players unavailable for selection.
Wales’ depth at nine has also been thinned by injury. Kieran Hardy, long the under-used deputy, suffered a serious knee problem in October that could keep him out of the 2027 World Cup in Australia. Morgan-Williams and uncapped Dragons scrum-half Che Hope are the other specialist options in the autumn squad.
“Reuben is doing well and Che is an exciting young talent,” Tandy said. “It’s just making sure we feel we manage that bit correctly so we are doing it right for that person, as well as Tomos. There is no substitute for Test rugby, but you’ve also got to do right by them, with who you’re playing against. So potentially putting Che in to start against New Zealand, those are the things we, as coaches, take into consideration. We know we need to grow that space.”
The one occasion Williams was absent from the starting side illustrates what a genuine rotation looks like. Hardy started that match and played 49 minutes, with Morgan-Williams coming on for the final 31.
Saturday’s meeting with New Zealand kicks off at 14:10 GMT at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, with Wales seeking to build on the Japan result against an All Blacks side that will test the durability of Tandy’s scrum-half plan as much as his squad’s fringe options.