Wales can be team to avoid at World Cup - Tandy

Wales have endured two nightmare years but head coach Steve Tandy insists they can be a side others want to avoid at the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

The draw for the tournament in Australia has pitted them against England, Tonga and Zimbabwe in Pool F.

The expanded 24-team tournament will include a round of 16 for the first time with the top two in each group plus four best third-placed finishers progressing.

Wales have made knockout stages in each tournament since 2007 but have won just two Tests since the 2023 World Cup and needed a last-gasp victory against Japan to avoid dropping out of the top 12 of the world rankings for the draw.

"You want to be a team that no-one wants to play. We've got to grow our game so that we can go there with ambition," said Tandy.

Wales have lost 20 of 22 Tests since the last tournament - with both successes coming against Japan - and sit 11th in the world rankings.

They are fresh from autumn thrashings at the hands of Argentina, New Zealand and South Africa and will aim avoid a third successive Six Nations Wooden Spoon next year.

Tandy, who left his role as Scotland defence coach for the Wales top job last summer, is confident his squad has the talent and drive to ensure they travel to Australia bracketed with the underdogs rather than whipping boys.

"We've got time to build, grow our team, develop and put pressure on ourselves to be better," he said.

"The main thing is experiencing things as a team so that when we get to the World Cup we are a side that people don't want to draw because we have grown over two years.

"I believe in this group and where they can go. They will gain experience over the next two years and develop.

"I am definitely confident that we will be in a really good place going to the World Cup."

Wales will also be fuelled by the thought of throwing a spanner in the works for England again.

They are ranked third in the world and could avoid being in the same half of the draw as the Springboks, New Zealand and France.

Yet they have previously lost the Wales at previous World Cup tournaments, in 1987 and when hosts in 2015 at Twickenham.

"Playing in a World Cup is unbelievable but playing England at the World Cup in Australia - what a place to play - is going to be amazing," said Tandy.

Wales beat Tonga in the 1987 and 2003 competitions while it will be a first World Cup meeting with Zimbabwe, who they beat for the third time in the summer of 1998.

Tandy will experience a second World Cup after suffering an early exit in 2023 when defence coach of a Scotland side that went up against South Africa and Ireland.

"That was a genuine group of death and the format was tough," he said.

"We played a game on the first weekend and then didn't play again for two weeks, then we had to go and beat Ireland by eight points if we were to get through.

"I do like the last 16, we have seen at football World Cups what that brings and that is an exciting addition."

Wales should progress and if they stun England then would go up against the runner-up of Pool B, which features world champions South Africa, Italy, Georgia and Romania.

If results go to form, the winners of that tie would face a quarter-final against either Australia or Japan.

A second-placed finish for Tandy's men would lead to a last-16 fixture against the runner-up of Pool C, which includes Argentina, Fiji, Spain and Canada.

If they lose to England and also suffer an upset against Tonga but sneak into the knockout stages then it would be a tie against a pool winner.

Tandy is quick to stress that Wales are not in a position to be getting ahead of themselves.

"I don't think we can take our eye off the ball and start thinking too far ahead," he admitted.