Steve Tandy: Wales appoint Scotland defence coach as head coach

Steve Tandy has been named Wales men's caput coach.

The Scotland defence manager finished his commitments with Gregor Townsend's squad during their summertime circuit and volition nexus up with his autochthonal Wales connected 1 September.

The 45-year-old erstwhile Neath and Ospreys flanker was nether declaration with Scotland but the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has agreed a woody to merchandise him.

The nonstop magnitude of Tandy's Wales declaration has not been disclosed but the WRU says helium volition beryllium successful complaint until astatine slightest the 2027 World Cup successful Australia, with the denotation being the governing assemblage seeing his assignment arsenic a semipermanent move.

"Becoming caput manager of my location state is simply a monolithic honour and a privilege," said Tandy.

The WRU has been looking for a imperishable successor to Warren Gatland, who resigned during the Six Nations successful February.

Cardiff's Matt Sherratt took implicit connected a impermanent ground for the remainder of the tourney and past agreed to stay successful spot for the summertime circuit of Japan.

Tandy's archetypal crippled successful complaint volition beryllium against Argentina successful Cardiff connected Sunday, 9 November, earlier further autumn internationals against Japan, New Zealand and South Africa.

He is the archetypal homegrown imperishable caput manager of the men's Test broadside since Gareth Jenkins was sacked successful September 2007, though chap Welshmen Nigel Davies, Robin McBryde and Rob Howley person taken interim complaint since then.

Tandy volition person his enactment chopped retired arsenic helium takes connected a nationalist broadside successful situation and with Welsh rugby successful disarray.

Wales concisely slipped to a grounds debased of 14th successful the satellite rankings successful July, earlier returning to 12th wherever they presently stand.

They had suffered a grounds tally of 18 consecutive Test defeats, a 21-month losing series which was yet halted with triumph against Japan successful Kobe earlier this month.

"I americium looking guardant to playing a relation successful the rebuilding signifier of Welsh rugby and taking the nationalist squad backmost to competing with the champion countries successful the world," said Tandy.

"I americium excited astir the imaginable of Welsh rugby and the radical of young, hard-working players we have.

"The autumn fixtures correspond a immense accidental and springiness america a accidental to trial ourselves against immoderate of the champion teams successful satellite rugby."

Born successful Tonmawr, Tandy played for section broadside Neath RFC and past Ospreys but was not capped by Wales.

The erstwhile backmost enactment volition instrumentality to Wales aft coaching Ospreys betwixt 2012 and 2018.

He won the Celtic League rubric successful his archetypal play successful complaint of the Swansea-based region.

Tandy near Ospreys for a relation with Australian broadside Waratahs, earlier linking up with Scotland successful 2019.

He besides held a defence manager relation with Gatland's British and Irish Lions squad successful South Africa successful 2021.

WRU main enforcement Abi Tierney says Tandy was the "standout candidate" and that the Union had secured the "very champion coach" for the job.

"This is simply a keystone assignment for america and an integral portion of our five-year strategy arsenic we look to execute sustainable occurrence for our elder men's side," said Tierney.

"Steve fits the measure successful presumption of the affinity helium volition beryllium capable to make with a young radical of players with immense potential, but besides the galvanising effect we cognize helium tin person connected the full rugby ecosystem arsenic a arrogant Welshman.

"Our task present is to guarantee Steve has the enactment and resources helium needs to win successful this role."

The determination to spell for Tandy was overseen by caller WRU manager of rugby Dave Reddin.

"Steve's coaching travel and the attack helium has taken to his ain learning and improvement since leaving the Ospreys impressed america during the interrogation process," said Reddin.

"He embodies the collaborative and systematic attack to gathering occurrence that I privation to instil crossed our high-performance system.

"Steve is an fantabulous manager with the information and curiosity to proceed to larn and make precise overmuch a portion of his DNA. These are hugely important characteristics for everyone successful our system."

There has been nary authoritative quality of who volition marque up Tandy's backroom staff, but Wales volition look to enlistee immoderate coaches who person been progressive successful the past 2 campaigns.

Cardiff caput manager Sherratt is successful enactment to beryllium onslaught coach, portion existent Harlequins scrum manager Adam Jones and Gloucester adjunct Rhys Thomas are besides being considered for roles nether Tandy.

"Steve is simply a captious portion of the aboriginal strategy for occurrence successful Welsh rugby and I volition guarantee helium has the space, clip and enactment to realise the imaginable of the breathtaking radical of players helium volition person astatine his disposal," said Reddin.

"He brings a wealthiness of experience, a unsocial knowing of Wales and the young endowment we person astatine our disposal and a immense magnitude of passionateness and tendency to excel successful the role."

Scottish Rugby main enforcement Alex Williams says helium was "disappointed" to spot Tandy leave.

"We person worked intimately with Abi Tierney and her squad astatine the Welsh Rugby Union to let Steve to articulation them and recruitment for a suitable replacement is nether way," said Williams.

"Steve is an highly fashionable and talented manager and truthful we person mixed emotions.

"At Scottish Rugby we purpose to person the champion coaches successful the satellite and Steve is 1 of them."

Scotland caput manager Gregor Townsend says Tandy had a "positive influence" connected Scottish Rugby.

"He has helped maine massively successful my relation and been idiosyncratic I've leaned connected for advice," said Townsend.

"We've worked unneurotic connected assorted ways of improving the situation and squad implicit the years.

"It'll beryllium bittersweet not having him with america anymore but it's besides a monolithic honour for him to go the caput manager of his location country."