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Steve Tandy has a year to try fast-track a solution to a long-running problem(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency)
It's no surprise to Steve Tandy by now that naming a Wales squad comes with a fair few slings and arrows.
"There'll be people out there challenging me on selections," said the Wales head coach on Tuesday, after naming his 39-man squad for the autumn. "No-one really says who they would leave out either, it's always the people that should be in!
"It's something that comes with the territory."
In the build-up to Tandy taking the job last year, much of the talk from the top of the Welsh Rugby Union was about how there was a need to drive up the experience in the squad, pointing to low cap numbers and cohesion at the time.
Even now, there's not a great deal of experience in the squad.
But Tandy is still walking the tightrope between whittling down his options to increase that experience, while also staying aware of any potential new faces.
"I'd never give out an opportunity, they've got to earn it, and I think I am pretty clear on the core of our group," he said.
"But this is another opportunity to see someone else in our environment and see what comes out of it."
"We want to build cohesion and consistency around the cap numbers, but also I think we have to look at potential," added Tandy about striking that balance. "And if we think that potential is going to elevate our performance, then I'm open to doing that.
"I agree that probably, in particular, our backline is where you want to create cohesion and probably get to 20 or 30 caps as quickly as you can, but also still making sure the performance is there. So it's a fine balancing act.
"In particular, with our backline, there is not a massive amount of caps, so we've got to nurture that, we have to be patient. And again, I don't think it's about chopping and changing everything, because I feel we've got so much potential in an already young group in certain departments.
"So it's balancing that off, but also we've got to be brave enough if we think there's talent that can add value to it, then we've we've got to have the ability to do that."
So far, Tandy has officially called up 68 players, using 54 to date in Test matches. By the end of the autumn, that could be 59 - with Seb Davies, Taine Basham, Rhys Barratt, Che Hope and Aneurin Owen yet to feature in a Test under the Wales head coach.
Of those 68 players, just nine have more than 50 caps. The vast majority find themselves with less than 20 caps at this point.
Wales are either playing 12 or 13 games in the next year, depending on whether it's three or four World Cup warm-ups.
Even allowing for a baker's dozen over the next 12 months leading up to the World Cup, Wales are still lacking depth in certain areas.
Based on the players who have been in and around the Wales squad in the past year or so, as well as those namechecked as future call-ups by coaches, here's what the Test profile of Wales' options for Australia could look like by next year.
Based on the 70-odd players perhaps in the frame right now, excluding any surprise bolters or recalls, you'll still be left with a fairly worrying lack of players around the 30-50 cap mark next year.
You can't exactly fast-track up experience, but that's the task facing the Wales coach right now.
On Tuesday, Tandy acknowledged that there isn't a great deal of experience in the backline beyond Tomos Williams and Josh Adams.
Adams, still an important part of Tandy's plans, has 72 caps for his country. The next highest in the back-three regulars is Louis Rees-Zammit, with 42.
Other regulars, like Blair Murray, Ellis Mee and Tom Rogers, still have less than 20 caps to their name.
Rio Dyer, with 24, is up there - but had been in the Test wilderness for a year.
There's options away from the previous squads, notably uncapped wing Macs Page and full-back Lewis Edwards, who could emerge in the next year.
Alignment camps, as Tandy has mentioned previously, will be crucial to getting them up to speed.
It was put to Tandy that Dyer got the nod over Page in order to bring up the Dragons' wings experience. However, he insisted it was purely down to performance.
In theory, if you've got a strong group of experienced players, it's easier to chuck a new face in - especially somewhere like the wing.
Maximum possible cap brackets by 2027 World Cup (current caps in brackets):
50+ caps: Josh Adams (72), Louis Rees-Zammit (43)
40-49 caps: None
30-39 caps: Blair Murray (19), Rio Dyer (24)
20-29 caps: Ellis Mee (11), Tom Rogers (13), Mason Grady (19)
10-19 caps: Cameron Winnett (9), Jacob Beetham (1), Gabriel Hamer-Webb (1), Keelan Giles (1)
0-9 caps: Macs Page (0), Lewis Edwards (0), Tom Bowen (0)
Not only is this an area where Wales are moving away from any established experience, it's one where they've got a clear idea in mind.
As things stand, either Joe Hawkins or Ben Thomas will wear the 12 jersey Down Under next year. There had been a suggestion, had Louie Hennessey not been injured in the summer, Tandy might have looked at an Eddie James-Hennessey midfield, which is an intriguing prospect.
But the smart money seems on a ball-playing 12 moving forward. Unless Tandy went back to a Nick Tompkins or Owen Watkin, there's little obvious experience in this area.
Again, alignment camps could be crucial. Tandy mentioned Aneurin Owen had impressed in an alignment session specifically for centres.
Aneurin Owen has been named in the Wales squad(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd)
Given the number of Welsh-based options, and the continued lack of a Wales A team despite the occasional threat of a resurrection over the years, that might be one way to improve cohesion.
But camps aren't Test matches. And as for the English-based players, they're limited when it comes to that alignment too.
50+ caps: Nick Tompkins (43), Owen Watkin (46)
40-49 caps: None
30-39 caps: None
20-29 caps: Joe Hawkins (13), Ben Thomas (19), Eddie James (11), Max Llewellyn (13)
10-19 caps: Aneurin Owen (0), Joe Roberts (7), Louie Hennessey (1)
0-9 caps: Steffan Emanuel (0), Bryn Bradley (0)
Four years ago, Wales had Dan Biggar and Gareth Anscombe as two senior fly-halves, with Sam Costelow learning from them.
Perhaps it was a little much to then chuck Costelow straight into the deep end immediately after the tournament. Only now do you feel he's getting to grips with Test rugby.
Remarkably, he's the most experience option Wales have here in terms of caps. It'll be him and Dan Edwards vying it out for the next year, but what Wales would probably give for an older head to act as a mentor here.
However, they simply don't exist.
50+ caps: None
40-49 caps: None
30-39 caps: Sam Costelow (22)
20-29 caps: Dan Edwards (13), Jarrod Evans (17), Callum Sheedy (17)
10-19 caps: None
0-9 caps: None
Under Tandy, scrum-half has felt a bit like Tomos Williams and A. N. Other.
Williams has started pretty much every match he's been available in, with the Wales coach often giving him the full 80. Kieran Hardy, a relatively experienced international in his own right, has been left on the bench on four occasions in the last year.
With his injury, Wales desperately need to blood more options - as it's not clear just how long the Ospreys half-back will be out for.
Reuben Morgan-Williams and Che Hope both have potential, but neither will head to the World Cup with a massive number of caps if they do make it on the plane.
New kicking coach Alex Davies has been proactive in working on the nines in terms of their kicking tactics, but they'll need some exposure in the next year - otherwise Wales are one injury away from disaster.
50+ caps: Tomos Williams (75)
40-49 caps: Kieran Hardy (32)
30-39 caps: None
20-29 caps: None
10-19 caps: Reuben Morgan-Williams (3), Che Hope (0), Ellis Bevan (6)
0-9 caps: None
Two different ends of the spectrum here, but that's not a bad thing.
Wales have three props in Nicky Smith, Rhys Carre and Gareth Thomas with a solid number of caps. You'd be more than happy with any of those starting.
Beneath them, there's a handful of promising looseheads who have been in and around the environment in the last year, who will likely become options after Australia.
50+ caps: Nicky Smith (66), Gareth Thomas (44)
40-49 caps: Rhys Carre (31)
30-39 caps: None
20-29 caps: None
10-19 caps: Rhys Barratt (0), Danny Southworth (1)
0-9 caps: Garyn Phillips (0), Cam Jones (0)
Again, not a problem position. Dewi Lake is Tandy's captain and has started every match to date under the coach.
Were it not for injuries earlier in his career, he'd probably have close to 50 caps by now, too. There's other experienced options - although Elliot Dee doesn't appear to be in the frame as much as Ryan Elias in that regard.
Further down the cap count, there's solid enough players there.
50+ caps: Ryan Elias (51), Elliot Dee (56)
40-49 caps: Dewi Lake (34)
30-39 caps: None
20-29 caps: None
10-19 caps: Liam Belcher (5), Evan Lloyd (8), Brodie Coghlan (2)
0-9 caps: None
A problem position for some time, it's telling how Wales have turned back to Tomas Francis and Dillon Lewis in the last year. Francis in particular will be one Wales are desperate to nurse through to the World Cup.
Archie Griffin and Keiron Assiratti could have decent cap numbers by the time of the World Cup. The key for Griffin is simply getting more games, full-stop, having been down the pecking order at Bath prior to Thomas du Toit's departure.
Archie Griffin of Wales(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd)
Then, beyond that, there's a lot of guys with low cap numbers who have been brought in as Wales search for options long-term.
50+ caps: Tomas Francis (82), Dillon Lewis (60)
40-49 caps: None
30-39 caps: None
20-29 caps: Archie Griffin (16), Keiron Assiratti (19)
10-19 caps: Ben Warren (3), Chris Coleman (2), Sam Wainwright (4)
0-9 caps: Rhys Henry (0)
A fairly healthy spread here. Dafydd Jenkins, Ben Carter and Teddy Williams should all increase their cap volume in the coming year, while Wales know what Adam Beard offers.
Seb Davies being back in the frame is an interesting one. Will Tandy look at either James Ratti or Rhys Davies - who have both been impressive for a while now.
Neither would have a host of caps, but that's less of an issue here.
50+ caps: Adam Beard (68)
40-49 caps: Dafydd Jenkins (31)
30-39 caps: Ben Carter (21), Seb Davies (17)
20-29 caps: Teddy Williams (10)
10-19 caps: Freddie Thomas (9), James Ratti (3), Rhys Davies (4)
0-9 caps: James Fender (0), Will Evans (0)
The most competitive area of the team by far and unsurprisingly the most diverse in terms of cap count.
Obviously, if Taulupe Faletau made a fourth World Cup, your average caps are up straightaway. But even if he doesn't, Aaron Wainwright will be past the 80 mark by this time next year.
Like Lake, Jac Morgan is another who would be closer to 50 had injuries not been kind. But there's no concern about his Test credentials as a Lion.
After that, there could be a nice number in that 30-40 bracket - with Alex Mann and James Botham regulars in squads. Tommy Reffell less so, but he's a proven Test performer even if he's not always flavour of the month with the current coaches.
The recalled Taine Basham has experience at a World Cup too, as does Taine Plumtree.
Given all that experience, you've a freedom to take a punt on a low-cap option like Morgan Morse, Kane James or Deian Gwynne.
50+ caps: Taulupe Faletau (109), Aaron Wainwright (70)
40-49 caps: Jac Morgan (27)
30-39 caps: Alex Mann (18), James Botham (24), Tommy Reffell (30), Taine Basham (17)
20-29 caps: Taine Plumtree (15)
10-19 caps: Harri Deaves (2), Kane James (1), Josh Macleod (5), Olly Cracknell (5), Morgan Morse (2)
0-9 caps: Ryan Woodman (0), Harrison Keddie (0), Deian Gwynne (0),
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