Tough choices for the toughest of starts: Can Tandy halt Wales' slide?

IN little more than a month, Wales head to London to start their Six Nations campaign against England.

- BEN JAMES

Having not won in the tournament since March 2023, there probably isn’t a more daunting beginning than facing Steve Borthwick’s side.

England have won their last 11 matches, beating the All Blacks in the autumn and inflicting a record Six Nations defeat on Wales in Cardiff last year.

It’s not an easy task that awaits Steve Tandy’s side.

The question is how will the Wales coach approach it, given Wales won't want to start the tournament how they finished last year’s. Or how they finished the autumn, for that matter.

A heavy defeat to erode the already fragile confidence of this Wales team at the start of the Six Nations would hinder hopes of avoiding a third consecutive wooden spoon.

So what will Tandy do at the start of February?

Going through the team, the selection probably starts with the question of what to do with Louis Rees-Zammit. His form since returning from the NFL has been one of the few positives in Welsh rugby this season.

While wing seems the obvious position for him upon his return from American football, Bristol have started using him at fullback recently and that could be where he is best served in the Test arena.

It's no secret Blair Murray was targeted aerially in the autumn, but Rees-Zammit is strong under the high ball. Fullback might give him the freedom to pop up more in attack, too.