Wales head coach Steve Tandy insisted he doesn't care which clubs his players play for when picking his teams.
Tandy’s side faces Japan on Saturday as the Nations Championship returns, with 12 England-based players in the 23-player squad he named on Thursday.
It’s believed to be a record made by Tandy, as nine are in the starting XV, with six included in the forward pack alone.
On the large number of English-based players involved, one user on X said: “Sign of the times.
“Our best players deserve the better wages, which means English contracts.
“Players like (Archie) Griffin that have been through the English academies are just a product of the funding in Wales, lack of opportunity.”
Another X user commented, “No problem with it for this month, but would be better for Welsh supporters to see these guys playing for Welsh clubs, and for their playing time to be managed here.
“We can dream.”
However, head coach Tandy said selecting players outside Wales is based purely on current form.
“I just see the boys playing the best at the minute, and also you put in what fits with how we want to play,” Tandy said.
“Ultimately it does not matter where they play; it will be the best players.
“It is never about where they play; it is more about who are playing the best rugby.”
“It’s exciting for us”
This is a dramatic shift in mindset from previous regimes, in which former head coach Warren Gatland preferred domestic control over players.
In the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Gatland only included six English-based players in his 33-player squad for the tournament in France.
Having more players outside Wales means less control over conditioning, availability for training camps, and alignment with national team structures.
But Tandy likes the fact that his players are wanted in other leagues outside of Wales is ‘exciting’ as his side have a challenging November ahead.
“That is exciting for us,” added Tandy.
“They are also experiencing different environments and receiving different stimulus.
“They are coming back with different experiences, things they have learned and plenty of motivation to represent Wales.”
But some Wales supporters do not seem keen on players continuing to play outside Wales.
One commented: “In no way, shape, or form are Cymru better for having less access to players who play in the inferior standard English league.
“It’s a challenge”
Tandy does accept the challenges of having less access to players, but the positives of playing in the Gallagher PREM outweigh the negatives.
“We have to make the best of the situation,” admitted Tandy.
“I would love to have more players based in Wales, that would be fantastic, but that is not the situation at the moment.
“You have to keep an open mind. We can either complain about having 20 players playing overseas, or we can recognise the benefits.”
“We might not have as much contact with those players or be able to bring them into alignment camps as regularly.
“However, some are playing in front of full stadiums every week and experiencing different styles of competition and coaching.”
The 12 English-based players vs Japan
- Dewi Lake (Gloucester)- Captain
- Jac Morgan (Gloucester)
- Max Llewellyn (Gloucester)
- Aaron Wainwright (Leicester Tigers)
- Louis Rees-Zammit (Bristol Bears)
- Tomos Williams (Saracens)
- Rhys Carré (Saracens)
- Nicky Smith (Sale Sharks)
- Tomas Francis (Sale Sharks)
- Dafydd Jenkins (Exeter Chiefs)
- Archie Griffin (Bath)
- Louie Hennessey (Bath)
