Six Nations 2026: Wales excited by Eddie James and Joe Hawkins partnership
Who, what, when, where, why — eddie james is central to Wales’ plan. Wales are set to field the Scarlets centre pairing of Joe Hawkins and eddie james again as Steve Tandy’s side chase an upset in Dublin on Friday at 3: 10 PM ET. The coaching group believe the combination gives Wales physicality and a different attacking shape they need to challenge Ireland.
Eddie James and Joe Hawkins: the partnership
Wales see promise in the Scarlets combination that first linked up at Under-20 level in 2021 and 2022 and has been rebuilt since Hawkins’ return from Exeter. Eddie James made his Wales debut against South Africa in 2024 and, after recovering from a back injury that kept him out of the first block of the season, has started regularly—making eight of his 12 starts at outside centre this season.
The pair are likely to join forces for the third time when Steve Tandy’s men attempt to cause a huge Six Nations upset against Ireland in Dublin on Friday at 3: 10 PM ET. James has also operated at inside centre for most of his senior career, and starting at 13 has prompted him to think about the game in new ways and add another string to his bow, getting the ball in space.
Expanding details and performance indicators
Official Six Nations stats show eddie james has made eight dominant contacts in the tournament, is averaging 6. 5 metres per carry and has accumulated 61 post-contact metres—one fewer than Ireland centre Stuart McCloskey on that metric. James earned an extended run in the side after an injury to Max Llewellyn, with Llewellyn having started three games alongside Ben Thomas in the 2025 Six Nations and lining up at 13 in the autumn.
The coaching view is that Hawkins provides a second-receiver option who can carry strongly and also act as a ball player, while James brings size and carrying power and reads the game off Hawkins’ angles. That complementary skill set is the central rationale for persisting with the pairing as Wales experiment with midfield combinations for the future.
Immediate reactions
“There will be different combinations at different times because we have to develop people for the future, ” said Matt Sherratt, attack coach. “We have that second-receiver type of player in Joe, who is physically very good as well, and Eddie is a very big athlete who runs good lines off him. “
“I enjoy playing with Joe and we have a good relationship off the pitch as well, ” said Eddie James, Wales centre. “The more games you play with any centre partner, the more you get a feel for what they do and hopefully get better. He reads the game well and understands it. He can carry and also be a ball player while my strengths are my size and carrying ability. “
The recent display against Scotland brought public praise from legendary former Scarlets, Wales and Lions outside centre Jonathan Davies, underlining the coaching staff’s belief that James is building momentum.
What’s next
Wales will trial the Hawkins–James midfield again when they meet Ireland on Friday at 3: 10 PM ET; selectors will monitor ball-carrying impact, defensive cohesion and how the pair combine under pressure. If the experiment delivers physical front-foot ball and better continuity, expect the duo to feature together more regularly as Wales plan for the remainder of the Six Nations and beyond, keeping eddie james at the centre of that assessment.
