Wales's head coach Steve Tandy reacts to the draw for Men's Rugby World Cup 2027

Steve Tandy, head coach

On his initial feelings following the draw:

“It is exciting, going to the World Cup with this different format and smaller groups. We can get started. Even though it is two years ahead, the excitement builds straight away. It was just good to watch on TV. You get excited to see who you are going to play rather than seeing who you avoid. When it comes to the World Cup, they are all brutal games. You know it is going to be the toughest test of all.”

On facing England:

“Those big games against England are always massive and being in a World Cup is even bigger. But Tonga and the others will also be a big challenge. Overall, it is very exciting even though, obviously, the game against England will be the one most people will focus on.”

On whether he is confident that the team will be in a better place by 2027:

“Definitely. After every game, there is always something to take from it. The group needs to experience different things. There has been growth. It might not be seen on the grass, but it is about how the boys are connecting and building experience through playing against the top six teams in the world. We have to make sure we learn and adapt and learn through those experiences. We will be a much better team at the World Cup.

“Having a mini pre-season build-up will help us. We will have more experience by the time we get there. The more this group are together, the quicker they will grow. The more time you spend as a team, the more it is going to help.”

On the main thing to do until the World Cup:

“Having experiences. Lots of tough ones and positive ones. We have a young group with not as many caps as we would like but I do believe in this young group.”

On the new format :

“For us, as a team, we are not at a stage where we can see too far ahead. We take things game after game. As a coach, it (the round of 16) adds more excitement, but I don’t think we can start to think that far ahead.”