Wales finished bottom of the Six Nations for a third year in a row yet ended the tournament with hope and excitement for the future.

Steve Tandy’s men were condemned to another Wooden Spoon when Alex Coles scored England’s fourth try in Paris on a stupendous Super Saturday.

Advertisement

That came after a long-awaited Welsh win against Italy to end a three-year, 15-game losing streak in the Six Nations.

After five draining rounds, there will be a hint of disappointment that Wales do not get the chance to build on an encouraging finish.

Hammerings by England and France were followed by spirited showings against Ireland and Scotland before the bonus-point win against the Azzurri.

BBC Sport Wales looks at some of the highlights and winners from Wales’ tournament.

Wainwright leads the charge

Taulupe Faletau is arguably Wales’ greatest ever number eight and remains a quality performer but has not played since the first Test in Japan last summer because of injury.

Advertisement

Aaron Wainwright’s displays led to Tandy being asked ahead of the Italy game whether Wales would keep the Lions legend in mind on his return from a calf issue.

“I don’t think you can ever write anyone off, especially with someone of his quality,” said the head coach.

“But ultimately we’ve got a lot of young men that are starting to perform, starting to get consistency, so for me it’ll always be based on performance.”

Wainwright was man of the match for his two-try performance against the Azzurri, when he also showed his work rate in defence to go along with his physicality with ball in hand.

Advertisement

The Leicester-bound Dragons talisman finished the official Six Nations charts fourth for carries (67), ninth for defenders beaten (17), fourth for dominant contacts (13) and fifth for post-contact metres (80).

“I still think that I could do more,” said Wainwright. “There is always room to deliver more.”

Wales are also blessed for flankers after strong campaigns by Alex Mann – the tournament’s top tackler – and James Botham ahead of the return of Jac Morgan.

Carre’s champagne moment

Dan Edwards’ try against Italy was the moment that put Wales within touching distance of a long-awaited win yet it is an unexpected score in a defeat that will be replayed in years to come.

Advertisement

Loose-head prop Rhys Carre’s fend and turn of pace to run over from 25 metres in Dublin was a champagne moment for the entire 2026 Six Nations, let alone Wales’ campaign.

It led to plenty of social media clips, questions in press conferences and the front-rower’s name getting a cheer as loud as Louis Rees-Zammit’s when the teams were read out before the finale against Italy.

The Saracens prop has been rejuvenated under Tandy and his Dublin effort was not just a terrific individual score, it was a key moment in the Wales revival.

They went into half-time just 12-10 down at Aviva Stadium and stayed in the fight to lay the foundations for the success against Italy.

Advertisement

Strong-running James has breakthrough campaign

Eddie James missed out on the autumn series through injury but the Scarlets centre, with Max Llewellyn sidelined, started all five games on his return.

The 23-year-old, who made his Test debut in 2024, led the championship for post-contact metres per carry (2.2) and was Wales’ joint leader for dominant contacts with Wainwright (13).

James started all fixtures at 13 but his physicality and offloading ability means he could be an option at 12, where he had predominantly played before this season.

Wales have gone for playmaking options at inside centre in Joe Hawkins and Ben Thomas but will also have the fit-again Llewellyn and promising Louie Hennessey, who made his debut off the bench in Ireland, in the mix.

Advertisement

“I feel that I am getting more and more confident with the minutes I have in the jersey,” said James after his first win at senior level with Wales.

“I really appreciate all the chances I get and hopefully I can perform if I get more chances in the summer.”

Unsung hero returns to Test stage

Tomas Francis does not feature on any statistical leaderboards but the tight-head prop has been a hugely welcome returnee to the international stage.

The 33-year-old had not featured since the 2023 World Cup while playing in France’s second tier with Provence.

He was recalled for the Six Nations by Tandy prior to a summer move to Sale where he will join forces with loose-head Nicky Smith.

Advertisement

Wales were denied the services of Keiron Assiratti – who had a strong autumn – because of injury and that led to Francis sharing the load with Bath’s Archie Griffin.

Francis started four times after returning off the bench at England and ensured set-piece solidity to go with some unflashy heft.

The former Ospreys prop provides experience and reliability, which puts him in a strong position to feature in a fourth World Cup.

Ambassadors amid uncertainty

Wales continue to play fixtures amid off-field turmoil, with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) not budging on their plan to cut from four men’s professional teams to three.

Advertisement

Tandy and captain Dewi Lake have had to be the face of Welsh rugby and have conducted themselves impeccably.

The hooker will have played his last Ospreys game before a summer move to Gloucester when the Wales squad link up again in the summer.

“That was a performance we have built towards and this group deserves it massively,” said Lake after the win against Italy.

“We have gone through a lot of emotionally tough things recently, whether that is on the field or off it.”

It remains a cause for concern as Wales build towards the World Cup, with Scarlets and Ospreys on a Professional Rugby Agreement (PRA) that expires in the summer of 2027.

Advertisement

Tandy’s squad next take to the field against Barbarians at Twickenham in June before three Nations Championship fixtures in July against Fiji, Argentina and South Africa.

By then the WRU will have held an extraordinary general meeting, with chair Richard Collier-Keywood facing a vote of no confidence, while there is also a legal battle with Swansea Council over the future of Ospreys.

Tandy has created a positive environment for his players after outlining his approach before the campaign.

“If they’ve got something to share, if they’re seeking more clarity or anything they want to talk about then we have to be open,” he said.

Advertisement

“One thing we can’t do is run away from it or pretend it’s not happening.”

Tandy has allowed his players to grow in their Vale Resort bubble and will aim to keep taking everything in his stride in the summer.