'No Hangover': Steve Tandy Backs Wales Team to Move On After Pay Dispute

Publicly, the 46-year-old welcomed the agreement and stressed the squad's focus had quickly returned to rugby. Yet beneath the beaming and calm exterior he projected to the media on Thursday morning, tensions are rising behind the scenes.

Having only taken charge of nine Test matches and one uncapped international, Tandy unwillingly found himself dealing with more off-field issues instead of preparing for Saturday’s match at the Cardiff City Stadium.

While relieved a strike had been avoided, the disruption and uncertainty were hardly the start he would have wanted for this summer’s campaign, following a spirited and uplifting Six Nations campaign.

But despite players having to balance training and meetings with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) this week, Tandy insisted that his side has been brilliant.

“To be honest, I just want to talk Fiji and the rugby,” admitted Tandy, who in his previous two campaigns with Wales had to deal with the WRU’s plans to slash one of its four regional teams.

“The boys have been brilliant in how they have gone about that and learning through where we are going to go,” added Tandy.

The threat of striking almost came into play, which would not have been anything fresh for the WRU to face.

This demoralising merry-go-round that Welsh rugby keeps riding would have been a guarantee that necessary action by the players would have happened if it wasn't for both the WRU and the Welsh Rugby Players Association (WRPA) not reaching a satisfactory agreement late on Wednesday.

Players were seen arriving and leaving the Vale throughout Wednesday afternoon, a normal training day, before more senior players, including the likes of Dewi Lake, Jac Morgan, Aaron Wainwright, and Josh Adams, were all still in a boardroom at the Vale Resort, striking the deal.

But was a strike a possibility three days out from facing Fiji on Saturday? “I just talk to the boys; it’s just about support,” replied Tandy, still smiling for the cameras, though it masked the frustration of the past 24 hours.

“(There’s) been lots of negotiations I’m not aware of. The only thing that’s come out for me is that it has been resolved, there’s been training as normal, and the timings of the week have been great.

“The way the boys have been on the field and in the meetings has been impeccable.” On the senior players stepping up and challenging the WRU over match fees, he added: “People have gone through experiences, and nothing’s perfect.

You do wonder, after the last 24 hours, players refusing to carry out media obligations, a threat of striking on the table, a Test match being cancelled, that the WRU would have had either chief executive Abi Tierney or director of rugby Dave Reddin to talk about the issue.

Instead, like other campaigns, Tandy was left with the unenviable task of being questioned, which was evident.

The chaos in Welsh rugby has been occurring way before Tandy took over as head coach, but those chaotic scenes don’t seem to be going away. The WRU seemingly haven’t learnt from past mistakes; Welsh rugby remains turbulent despite next year's Rugby World Cup.

On matters on the field for Tandy this weekend, following an interrupted week of unwanted noise, although the contest against Fiji is in the Welsh capital, there is a sense that the players are bringing a great deal of baggage into the game.

“You can be in good shape defensively, and something can happen,” Tandy said on the most challenging aspects of facing Fiji, without highlighting the strain this Test week has had on his players mentally.

Following last weekend’s sparse crowd in the intense heat of the 82,000-seater Allianz Stadium, where no official attendance was given. If those scenes are to repeat themselves this weekend against Fiji at the 33,000-capacity Cardiff City Stadium, then that may paint an even more brutal picture of the current landscape of Welsh rugby.