After over a year and 13 games as Wales head coach, Steve Tandy is getting used to making tough phone calls and then copping flak when his selections are made public.

Tandy named his 39-man squad for November's Nations Championship on Tuesday, with the 11am announcement prompting the usual tribal responses.

There was delight at the inclusions of uncapped trio Aneurin Owen, Che Hope and Rhys Barratt and recalls for Rio Dyer, Seb Davies, Taine Basham and Gabriel Hamer-Webb.

There was also disappointment at the omissions of Taulupe Faletau, Macs Page, Elliot Dee, Bryn Bradley, Mason Grady and Tommy Reffell, who Tandy later revealed had suffered a knee injury.

"There'll be people out there challenging me on selections," said the head coach, who has now named four squads.

"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."

Tandy left his role as Scotland's defence coach to call the shots for his country in the summer of 2025.

He has used 54 players so far and is still casting his net wide despite it being just under a year until the World Cup gets under way.

Tandy will be limited to 33 players for the tournament in Australia but has selected a squad of 39 for the Nations Championship.

"I cop flak wherever I go, that's something I'm getting used to. I get some of that, but you can only pick so many," said the former Ospreys flanker and boss.

"Martyn [Williams, team manager] would have kicked off if I had gone with more, he wouldn't be happy with the budget!

"I'm comfortable in this space and know that we are thorough around our selection.

"There have been some brilliant performances out there from boys that are not in. I've had some phone calls over the last few days that were tough, but I'd rather the boys know where they sit."

Wales have just 12 or 13 games until they get their World Cup campaign under way against Zimbabwe.

It would be understandable if Tandy was keen to whittle down his options, but he is still keen to reward performances.

"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."

That is the case with the uncapped Dragons pair of centre Owen and scrum-half Hope, but the selection of their Rodney Parade team-mate Davies was more surprising.

The lock or flanker, in his second season with Dragons after moving from Cardiff, has 17 caps, but has not featured since facing Italy in the 2022 Six Nations.

Wales already have Dafydd Jenkins, Ben Carter, Adam Beard and Teddy Williams in their squad and are highly unlikely to take five second-row forwards to the World Cup, but Tandy is still keen to cast his eye over the 30-year-old.

"You see the athletic ability with Seb and speaking to him there was the emotional outpouring of being involved with the squad," Tandy said.

"We had an alignment camp – a smaller unit gathering – and he came in to get to know them. With that exposure, it's a great opportunity to see boys in our environment."

One in-form player who must wait for his opportunity is Page, who has caught the eye on the wing for Scarlets.

The 21-year-old has scored four tries in four appearances, while he has made nine line breaks.

He misses out with Dyer and Hamer-Webb coming in to join Josh Adams, Ellis Mee, Blair Murray, Tom Rogers and Louis Rees-Zammit.

"Macs has been outstanding but that's where the depth of our wingers and back field is really encouraging," Tandy told Scrum V podcast.

"Look at others - Mason Grady, Keelan Giles, Tom Bowen, all those boys are playing well. Jacob Beetham was outstanding at the start of the season [before injury]."

Dyer was selected by Tandy last autumn and won his 24th cap against South Africa, but missed out on the Six Nations and summer Tests.

The Dragons back has been a threat with ball in hand and, like Scarlets rival Mee, has thrived when chasing restarts and kicks.

"Some of his aerial contests have been better than anyone in Wales," said Tandy.

"Rio has really developed that and his work rate has been outstanding. He thoroughly deserves his recall."

Tandy has fielded five different midfield partnerships so far, and could add to that tally after Owen's call-up.

Ben Thomas started against South Africa in July but misses out because of a calf injury, with the uncapped Dragons centre now pushing for a chance at 12.

Owen, a member of the Wales squad in the summer 2021 after a breakthrough season when he broke up the expected partnership of Jamie Roberts and Nick Tompkins, has been rewarded for club excellence.

"He has been outstandingly consistent and does everything really well. Speak to coaches and they mention his standards on and off the field, how he is the last one off after working on extras," Tandy told Scrum V.

"He has had injuries, and you could argue he could have been in the selection mix sooner, but what I love is that he has kept going and kept getting better.

"He has been so consistent and at a high level, not just seven out of 10 but above that."

Owen is a specialist 12 to rival Joe Hawkins, who is with Scarlets in South Africa to play Stormers this weekend along with Taine Plumtree.

Eddie James is one of the five Wales squad members to stay at home, with Tandy likely to field him in the Nations Championship opener against Japan.

There has been debate about the powerful back's best position - with many feeling he has the bulk for inside centre, where he started Scarlets' first two games of the season - but Tandy is sticking to his guns.

"I see Eddie more as a 13. He can definitely play 12, as we have seen for the Scarlets, but in our team he is more of a 13 who can play 12," he said.

"Louie Hennessey, Max Llewellyn and Eddie, they have big frames and there is lot of interchangeability for the 12s and 13s. We have a nice variety of options there."

Tandy has made his first selection of the Nations Championship, but there is plenty more scrutiny ahead with four team announcements to come.