Given that their last game ended as a 73-0 defeat to South Africa, improvement would not appear beyond them, but nothing should be taken for granted when they launch their Guinness Six Nations campaign against an in-form England.
Wales arrive at Allianz Stadium - Twickenham to most - as heavy underdogs, having not won a Six Nations match since March 2023 and facing an England side on an 11-game winning run under Steve Borthwick.
Yet for Tandy, the contest is framed less by England’s momentum and more by what Wales can demonstrate about their own development.
“Ultimately when we come out of this game on Saturday we want to look ourselves in the mirror and, regardless of the outcome, ask, ‘Were we better than we were in the autumn?” says the Wales coach.
“Can you see more of our game coming through?’ Those are the big things we are looking for as a team.”.
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That focus on improvement has shaped both Wales’ mindset and selection.
Tandy accepts that few outside the camp expect a Welsh victory, but he believes that internal belief and single-minded purpose matter far more.
“I think internally the boys believe in what we are trying to do,” he says.
“Outside of it, why would people give us a chance, realistically? You look at the form of both teams, you probably wouldn’t.
“But ultimately the only thing we are genuinely focusing on, it isn’t about the outside noise or influence.”
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Despite that realism, Tandy is not downplaying the magnitude of the challenge or the appeal of the occasion.
His own memories of success at Twickenham, forged while serving as Scotland’s defence coach, continue to resonate.
“Winning at Twickenham, at such an iconic stadium, is incredible,” he says.
“It’s an unbelievable experience and the best thing is when you see what joy it brings to outside the dressing room as well.
“I can remember going back up (to Scotland) on the Monday, and Gregor (Townsend, head coach) had put messages up from people what it meant to the nation.
“The Six Nations as a whole is the biggest tournament in the world outside of the World Cup and we are fortunate to be a part of it.
“Going up to England I find it exciting. For our group, I know intimidating and daunting are words which people will throw out which is understandable.
“But we have to be excited about how we can go and attack this game.”
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England have already suggested Wales may rely heavily on contestable kicking, with Borthwick predicting upwards of 50 aerial challenges.
Tandy’s team selection has lent weight to that idea, most notably with Louis Rees-Zammit switching from wing to full-back.
It will be only the fourth time in 36 Tests that Rees-Zammit starts at 15, and his first international appearance at Twickenham, but Tandy is confident the Bristol Bears back can thrive there.
“Zammo only had a couple of games before the autumn and we got him back in at wing,” Tandy says.
“He has played full-back before so it’s not something that was fundamentally new, but he has played there for Bristol and is getting fit.
“Zammo is threatening and if there is a kick that is too long then something can happen, as we have seen for Bristol.
“I am excited by his aerial work as well. As much as he is quick, he is a big man as well.”
That threat under the high ball has influenced Wales’ back-three makeup, with Blair Murray dropping out of the squad after a difficult autumn and Tom Rogers also missing out, despite scoring a hat-trick against New Zealand.
Ellis Mee and Josh Adams start on the wings, with Mason Grady providing bench cover.
“I feel really excited about our back three,” Tandy adds.
“And the way the game is going you have to think about the aerial game. With Ellis, it’s not just the aerial stuff, he’s been outstanding defensively, he’s been picking up jackals and then he scored that try [for Scarlets’ last-gasp victory] against Ulster.”
In the pack, injuries have forced further adaptation. Scarlets flanker Josh Macleod starts at openside in place of the injured Jac Morgan, earning his first Six Nations appearance after years of frustration.
“He has been really unfortunate with injuries,” Tandy says of Macleod.
“He is 29 and hasn’t got the number of caps [only four] that he fully deserves. It’s testament to his character the way that he has kept going and kept getting better.”
Cardiff’s Alex Mann lines up at blindside, despite concerns about his size, with Tandy highlighting the importance of breakdown speed and aerial scraps.
“We think a lot of it’s going to be played in the air. You look at the game now, there’s not many clean catches, there’s going to be lots of scraps or crumbs on the deck, so we feel we’ve got a back row that can really help the game there, but also they can bring their own impacts as well.”
Off the field, Wales have also been dealt a blow with scrum coach Duncan Jones sidelined after a freak training-ground injury.
“It’s an absolute freak injury,” Tandy said. “It wasn’t even a high-impact injury. He’ll undertake an operation (on Friday) to get that fixed.
“I’m disappointed for Duncan, because I know how much it means to him to coach his country and be around the group.”
For all the tactical detail and selection debate, Tandy keeps returning to the same theme: evidence of growth.
A win at Twickenham would be seismic, but for this Wales side, the first marker of success will be whether Saturday shows tangible improvement on what came before.
