Leadership and Morale Ahead of Barbarians Double-Header
Dewi Lake and Alex Callender served as co-captains for their respective Wales teams during the most recent World Cups.
Despite anticipated low attendance at Allianz Stadium on Saturday, Wales remains optimistic about their double-header matches against the Barbarians.
Following a challenging 2025-26 season with only three wins from 19 international matches, Steve Tandy's men's team (kick-off 14:00 BST) and Sean Lynn's women's team (kick-off 17:00 BST) have opportunities to secure morale-boosting victories at Twickenham.
No official caps will be awarded at the venue, where Wales will be the visiting side, and an expected crowd of approximately 20,000 is projected in the 82,000-capacity stadium.
Nevertheless, both Welsh coaches emphasize the significance of these fixtures.
"We are treating it as a Test match and the training week has been no different in the mindset and intensity," said Tandy.
"For us to go to Twickenham on Saturday and beat the Barbarians is everything," added Lynn, who is seeking only his second win since assuming the coaching role in March 2025.
Wales and Barbarians Ready to Extend Their Rich History
Recent news includes Morgan's return to the Wales squad against the Barbarians and the inclusion of five uncapped players in the Wales team.
Blowing Away the Cobwebs
The Wales men's team secured a morale-boosting victory over Italy in their last match, ending a three-year losing streak in the Six Nations. They have not achieved back-to-back wins since the 2023 World Cup.
This fixture provides a preparatory match ahead of a crucial Nations Championship opener against Fiji at Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday, 4 July, followed by away matches in Argentina and South Africa.
As the Barbarians match falls outside World Rugby's official window, Tandy is without 13 squad members contracted to English and French clubs.
The United Rugby Championship (URC) regular season concluded in mid-May, with only Cardiff loose-head Rhys Barratt, who started the quarter-final loss to the Stormers at the end of May, having played beyond that point.
Wales' squad comprises a blend of less experienced and seasoned players who must quickly develop cohesion for three Tests against higher-ranked international teams.
"We built through the Six Nations really well, so can we hit the ground running? I am happy with the group and the potential that we have, but we want to get better and we have to go faster in what we are doing. Momentum has been built but we are still nowhere near where we want to be, so it's exciting to test ourselves against the leading nation in the world in South Africa, Argentina are up there and so are Fiji," said Tandy.
Opportunity Knocks
Several players are expected to return for the Fiji game, including Exeter's Dafydd Jenkins, Saracens' Rhys Carre, Gloucester's Tomos Williams, and Bristol's Louis Rees-Zammit.
Lock Adam Beard, who lost his starting position to Ben Carter during the Six Nations, will be evaluated after joining the squad following his appearance for Montpellier in the Top 14 final against Toulouse on Saturday night.
The Barbarians match offers four uncapped players—lock or flanker Ryan Woodman, back-row forward Harrison Keddie, Rhys Barratt, and tight-head prop Ben Warren—a chance to impress and secure places in the summer squad, which will be finalized early next week.
Full-back Blair Murray, known for his dynamism, will have an opportunity after a demanding international season, featuring an all-Scarlets set of three-quarters.
Cardiff lock Teddy Williams returns following recovery from a dislocated right foot sustained in October, while Dragons tight-head Dillon Lewis makes his first international appearance in two years, filling a critical position for Wales.
"We want a competitive group and we want competitive selections," stated Tandy.
Meanwhile, Wales' women's team faces the Barbarians before a brief break ahead of the WXV Global Series.
This schedule allows coach Lynn to evaluate emerging talent with the incentive of selection for upcoming matches against South Africa and the USA in Cardiff in September, followed by two Tests in Japan in October.
After finishing last in consecutive Six Nations tournaments, Wales is eager to identify promising players during the Twickenham fixtures.
Five uncapped players are included, with Amy Williams and Kelsie Webster starting in the backs, and Stella Orrin, Lucy Isaac, and Lily Hawkins on the bench.
"I don't want to be coming into pre-season where an individual has trained really well but we've got no evidence from a game, so that's what the squad is selected on," Lynn explained. "Certain individuals have put their hands up, and that's why we're going to give their reward."
The women's team is also buoyed by the return of influential back-row forward Alex Callender, who captains the side after recovering from an ankle injury that sidelined her during the Six Nations.
Kayleigh Powell has been moved from full-back to fly-half, providing competition for Lleucu George.
Players who are rested or unavailable following their Premiership Women's Rugby (PWR) commitments will be eager to secure their positions.
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End of a Long Season
Wales announced their line-ups under the banner "Two teams. One Wales," though the men's and women's squads face different challenges.
Some of Tandy's players have already had a few weeks off, with all scheduled for a break in August.
Lynn's team concludes a demanding period that included last summer's two Tests in Australia, the World Cup, PWR, Celtic Challenge, and the Six Nations.
Since taking over, Lynn has won only one of 15 Tests, a victory against the Wallaroos in Brisbane last July, and is eager for a positive result to build momentum into September.
"You want to be playing against the best and learning from the best, but we also want to be making sure that we put our best foot forward. We all want to be winning, that's what it comes down to in Test match rugby. For us to go to Twickenham on Saturday and beat the Barbarians is everything, but within that, we need to be making sure we are sticking to our processes," Lynn said.
Assessing the Barbarians Challenge
The Wales men's team requires a preparatory match before upcoming challenging Tests but faces a Barbarians side recently defeated 80-31 by South Africa.
Despite the heavy loss, the Barbarians scored five tries, a better performance than Wales' stretched squad managed in a 73-0 defeat by the Springboks last autumn.
The Barbarians have not undergone extensive training in the London heat this week and aim to deliver an entertaining farewell match for Wales centurion George North.
"What we can expect is a skilful game and we'll throw the ball round like we did last week. It is a united group and the boys will play for each other," said Barbarians coach Scott Robertson.
The women's Barbarians side includes players from nine nations, captained by Australian flanker Emily Chancellor and featuring New Zealand World Cup winner Ruby Tui.
Playing their first fixture since 2024, the Barbarians will rely on their experience against a youthful Welsh team.
Team Line-Ups
Barbarians men: Spring; Kellaway, Ward, Nankivell, Vakatawa; Plummer, de Klerk (capt); Kharaishvili, Dee, Koch, Rodda, Taofifenua, Salakaia-Loto, Boshier, Hughes.
Replacements: Thacker, Iscaro, Alo-Emile, Tanga, Joseph, Arata, North, McConnell.
Wales men: Murray; Rogers, James, Hawkins, Mee; Edwards, Hardy; G Thomas, Lake (capt), Lewis, Carter, T Williams, Plumtree, Morgan, Wainwright.
Replacements: Elias, Barratt, Warren, Woodman, Keddie, Morgan-Williams, Costelow, Grady.
Barbarians women: Cramet; Tui, Pena, Tessier, Lund; McGovern, Mattinson; Delgado Duenas, Phillips, Belize, P Leitch, Bonar, Rule, Chancellor (capt), Marston-Mulhearn.
Replacements: Tuttosi, B Cleall, Jacob, Buckland-Hurry, Arrighetti, Maxwell, Tuima, Quansah.
Wales women: N Metcalfe; Webster, Keight, De Vera, Williams; Davies, Reardon, Tuipulotu, B Metcalfe, Aiono, A Joyce, Callender (capt), King.
Replacements: Jones, Baverstock, Orrin, A Pyrs, Isaac, Hawkins, Bevan, Bell.
