There will be more than just league points at stake at Rodney Parade tonight
10:34, 17 Oct 2025Updated 10:35, 17 Oct 2025
Callum Sheedy of Cardiff has been in fine form ahead of the Wales squad announcement(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd)
Steve Tandy will name his first Wales squad on Tuesday which gives tonight’s east Wales derby between the Dragons and Cardiff an extra edge.
Of course, Tandy will already have a solid view of what his squad will look like but there will undoubtedly be at least a handful of places up for grabs ahead of final selection meetings on Sunday and Monday. A strong performance at Rodney Parade tonight over a potential Wales rival could catapult a few players into Tandy’s squad.
Here are the key head-to-heads and the players who could nail down a Wales squad place with a strong performance at Rodney Parade.
Rio Dyer v Tom Bowen
This is a fascinating head-to-head.
Dyer was a Wales regular before he was left out of Warren Gatland’s Six Nations squad, while he also was not included by Matt Sherratt to tour Japan. But this is a clean slate and Dyer will be desperate to add to his 23 Wales caps.
His opposite number is one of the in-form wingers in the United Rugby Championship, never mind Wales. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
Bowen has been electric for Cardiff in these opening rounds of the season, scoring five tries, and is deadly with ball in hand.
If there is one position in Welsh rugby where there is quality strength in depth it is the back three, with the likes of Louis Rees-Zammit, Tom Rogers, Josh Adams, Blair Murray, Keelan Giles and Ellis Mee all vying for positions.
But both Dyer and Bowen will be in the conversation.
A try-scoring performance at Rodney Parade tonight will do their chances the world of good.
Brodie Coghlan v Liam Belcher
Abrasive Dragons hooker Coghlan has stood out for the past 18 months and will be desperate to get the better of Cardiff captain Belcher.
Coghlan is a very explosive carrier with a real edge about him in the contact area and just keeps going. Belcher won his first Wales cap on the summer tour of Japan and is the model professional. The 29-year-old is solid in every aspect of the game and is a natural leader.
When it comes to the hooking berth, Dewi Lake is nailed on but Wales regulars Elliot Dee and Ryan Elias are both sidelined with injuries.
Evan Lloyd, who is on the Cardiff bench tonight, has been a recent squad member and is also surely in contention.
But both Coglhlan and Belcher stand a decent chance of forcing their way into Tandy’s plans with strong performances this evening.
Jacob Beetham
The 24-year-old is an outside bet for the squad but he has to be considered, especially given his versatility.
Injuries have stalled Beetham’s progress in recent seasons but he has long been viewed as a player with international potential and his Scottish qualifications even made the Cardiff man a target for Gregor Townsend’s Scotland.
At 6ft 1in Beetham clearly has the size and the physicality for international rugby. The Cardiff man was seen primarily as a full-back by new Wales attack coach Matt Sherratt but he can cover centre, wing and was even touted as a potential outside-half by Gatland.
Beetham is a physical player who is strong in the air and has a good kicking game.
He is also a very good distributor who takes good options and his versatility makes him a genuine option for Wales this November.
Callum Sheedy
The 29-year-old is playing his best rugby for a number of years and has been instrumental in Cardiff’s strong start to the season.
Sheedy was a bit hit and miss during his first season at the Arms Park after joining from Bristol Bears but he has gone up a level during the opening three weeks of the season.
The 16-times capped outside-half is an excellent player with ball in hand, with his distribution and attacking kicking game creating tries for Cardiff this season.
He was found wanting in defence too often last season but this area of his game has improved significantly, as has his goal kicking.
The Wales number 10 shirt is wide open. Dan Edwards and Sam Costelow toured with Japan in the summer and Ben Thomas also provided cover at outside-half.
Harlequins playmaker Jarrod Evans is another option but if Sheedy can guide Cardiff to victory at Rodney Parade it could edge him back into the squad. Join WalesOnline Rugby’s WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free
Shane Lewis-Hughes v Alex Mann
It has been five years since Lewis-Hughes last represented Wales and the Dragons backrower will no doubt be keen to get stuck into former club Cardiff tonight.
Lewis-Hughes was one of the only players to emerge from a difficult 2024/25 season with any credit in the bank. The 28-year-old is a workhorse who lives on the edge and always puts his body on the line.
His opposite number, Mann, toured Japan with Wales this summer and is no doubt in contention for Tandy’s first squad.
Mann is a very talented player with a bit of x-factor but Lewis-Hughes will be eager to get stuck into his former teammate tonight. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here.
If the Dragons win and Lewis-Hughes has a stormer a Wales recall will not be out of the equation.
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