Wales Squad Will Not 'bury Heads In Sand' Over Club Cut

Autumn international: Wales v Argentina

Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff Date: Sunday, 9 November Kick-off: 15:10 GMT

Coverage: Commentary connected BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and unrecorded matter connected BBC Sport online.

Prop Nicky Smith says nan Wales squad will not 'bury heads successful nan sand' complete nan imaginable of a master nine being cut.

Wales commencement their autumn bid pinch uncertainty owed to nan Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) wanting to spell from 4 regions to 3 - pinch Ospreys and Scarlets successful nan firing line.

"Of people location is simply a batch of sound but nan main point is that nan boys conscionable want to play for Wales," said Smith, formerly of Ospreys and now astatine Leicester.

"Whether connected nan transportation aliases successful training, they conscionable want to put their champion ft forward.

"There is nary constituent burying our heads successful nan sand. It's bully that we talk astir it disconnected nan transportation and past erstwhile we are connected it we are focused and person sewage everything disconnected our chests."

Wales kick-off their run nether caller caput coach Steve Tandy against Argentina connected Sunday pinch further games against Japan, New Zealand and South Africa.

While nan squad are preparing for nan Pumas, meetings are taking spot betwixt bosses astatine Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets and nan WRU to talk the connection to scrap 1 region by 2027.

Star players specified arsenic Wales skipper Jac Morgan, Josh Adams and Aaron Wainwright are already connected nan radar of overseas clubs arsenic their contracts tally down.

Smith, whose Leicester statement expires astatine nan extremity of nan season, has been watching nan saga from a distance, but nan 31-year-old has lived done his adjacent stock of chaos.

"It's thing caller because erstwhile I was astatine nan Ospreys I was retired of statement erstwhile a merger was coming astir nan corner," said Smith.

"It's a spot easier for maine now that I americium retired of nan picture, but erstwhile I was successful it things were distracting and stressful."

The Swansea-born guardant believes a willingness among players and coaches to talk astir problems is helpful.

"If we want to get thing disconnected our chests - and that's not conscionable what is going connected now successful Welsh rugby, it's thing - past we do," he added.

"That's what Steve [Tandy] wants because pinch a clear mind you tin springiness your champion for nan team."

Smith was nan starting loose-head erstwhile Wales ended their 18-Test losing streak against Japan successful Kobe successful July.

He is successful rod position to get nan number 1 jersey against Argentina's formidable scrum erstwhile Tandy announces his line-up connected Friday but location is accrued competition.

Smith and Gareth Thomas person been joined by uncapped in-form Cardiff prop Danny Southworth and recalled Rhys Carre, who has been carrying difficult and scrummaging powerfully for Saracens.

High standards successful training are preparing nan battalion for a daunting day pinch an Argentina broadside that relish collisions but besides person plentifulness of elusive players who tin debar them.

"They person ever had a large battalion but now we person seen really expansive they tin be," said Smith.

"Their backmost statement is unthinkable and nan forwards are large and beingness but tin chuck nan shot astir arsenic well.

"They will ever pridefulness themselves connected physicality but location is much to them than that and we person to beryllium fresh for anything."