Tandy's Wales in-tray as he takes on top job

BBC News

23-07-2025

So Wales finally have their man.Steve Tandy has been installed as the new permanent men's head coach more than five months after the departure of Warren Gatland.The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) had to get Tandy released from his contract with Scotland, where he was defence coach.Tandy has been given a three-year deal and the media will hear from the man himself in early August before he officially starts work on 1 September.He is taking on a huge task as he begins a job WRU chief executive Abi Tierney says he felt he was "destined" for.As Tandy returns to a Welsh rugby system in crisis, BBC Sport examines what will be in his in-tray.
Backroom boys
One of the the first things Tandy must do is assemble his backroom staff.WRU director of rugby and elite performance Dave Reddin says that will not be solely Tandy's responsibility, and will instead be more a collaborative effort between the two of them.Cardiff boss Matt Sheratt was the interim head coach between Gatland and Tandy.Danny Wilson, Adam Jones, Gethin Jenkins, Rhys Thomas and Leigh Halfpenny were Sherratt's lieutenants in Japan after Gatland's old backroom staff of Jonathan Humphreys, Mike Forshaw, Rob Howley, Alex King and Neil Jenkins were stood down.Sherratt has been identified as a potential attack expert within Tandy's set-up while the WRU was impressed with the other coaches, although the majority of them are contracted to clubs.Wilson and Jones are head coach and scrum coach at Harlequins respectively, Gethin Jenkins is in the Cardiff set-up, while Thomas is involved at Gloucester.Reddin acknowledged there might need to be some interim appointments for the autumn series as the WRU negotiates to get the people it wants.He stressed long-term, though, being involved with the men's set-up was not a part-time position."Working with the Wales national team is a full-time job," said Reddin."No-one is coming here for a rest from club rugby. This is full-on. That's the only way we're going to drive success moving forward."
A testing autumn schedule
Wales have turned to Tandy to arrest a slide that has seen them finish bottom of the last two Six Nations Championships and plummet down the world rankings to 12th.Tandy will face a baptism of fire in his opening campaign, with his first match against Argentina on 9 November and further games against Japan, New Zealand and world champions South Africa.They will be the final matches before the draw for the 2027 World Cup is made in December. Tandy and Wales will know they will at least need to stay in that top 12 of the rankings to ensure a more favourable draw."I don't want to get hung up about results in the autumn, but it's going to be a brilliant benchmark for us as Steve starts his reign," said Reddin."That will give us a clear indication of where we are as we start to plan for the 2027 World Cup and beyond."Tandy will not be weighed down, at least, by Wales' record 18-match losing Test run, which was halted by victory over Japan in Kobe this month.
Collaboration and cooperation
One of the reasons Tandy has been chosen - rather than a proven national head coach with previous experience - is his understanding of the Welsh game.Tandy spent six years with Ospreys before leaving Welsh rugby in 2018 to take roles with the Waratahs, Scotland and the British and Irish Lions.He knows the professional set-up and is expected to have a more unified approach than Gatland."Collaboration is a quality Steve has," said Reddin."That's something we want to embody across the whole system because it should be a fundamental competitive advantage for Wales."Tandy will recognise the domestic situation has deteriorated rapidly since he left.The WRU is considering halving the number of teams in Wales in the men's professional game after admitting the current funding model is unsustainable.The governing body announced in May it would move away from the framework of four evenly-funded clubs after Ospreys and Scarlets did not sign up to its new Professional Rugby Agreement.Now the union has announced it will enter into formal consultation with Wales' four regional clubs and other key stakeholders that will lead to a domestic restructure by the 2027-28 season, with a decision on the plan expected by this October.That could mean fewer teams and job losses, meaning Tandy will have to deal with the uncertainty his players face when he brings them together.
An impossible job?
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend was disappointed to lose Tandy, whose appointment has split opinion on social media.Views range from people being underwhelmed to others saying he is the right man at the right time.Tandy, 45, knows Welsh rugby always provokes debate and the former no-nonsense flanker will need a thick skin to deal with the role.Some have gone as far as to suggest this is an impossible job. Reddin disagrees."From my perspective, I don't think it's impossible at all," said Reddin."Are Wales going to be consistently ranked as the number one team in the world for the next 10 years? No, I don't think so."But can we be a genuine, top-five nation who are constantly competing for Six Nations titles, capable of mixing it with the best in the world? 100%. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here."Tandy will have to win over the doubters and the only way to do that, in the long-term, will be by delivering results. Given the dire situation Tandy is inheriting, that will be the ultimate test, with former Wales captain Jonathan Davies saying he needs time.Reddin says he hopes to provide Tandy with the tools to succeed."I don't think anybody gets inspired by a team that says, 'well, we're going to rock up and do our best'," said Reddin."Especially a passionate rugby nation like Wales, we've got to be more ambitious than that. Passion on its own is not enough, it's useless."You've got to get all the other bits right as well. If you've got those bits right, the passion can carry you somewhere special."Welsh rugby will hope Tandy will be the man to deliver on such bold sentiments.