Steve Tandy offers brutally real take on turning Wales around

New head coach Steve Tandy says Wales must show ambition to restore national pride after sliding down the world order.

Tonmawr-born Tandy, a former Ospreys player and coach, has ended a six-year stay as Scotland defence coach to return home to Wales.

Tandy becomes the first Welshman to coach the national side since 2007, at a time when Wales have slipped to 12th in the world rankings and had lost 17 successive matches before beating Japan last month in the final game of Matt Sherratt’s interim reign.

“The privilege and the honour to be head coach of your national country is massive,” Tandy said.

“Being in the changing rooms is even better. I’ve got huge pride as a sense of family and what a great rugby nation it is.

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“So, it’s a feeling of absolute pride and an honour.”

Wales were 2019 World Cup semi-finalists under Warren Gatland and Wayne Pivac’s side won the 2021 Six Nations Championship.

But Pivac’s reign quickly unravelled and Gatland’s return – the Kiwi had overseen a glorious chapter between 2007 and 2019 – produced no upturn in fortunes, with his departure coming during the 2025 Six Nations in February.

The Welsh Rugby Union has stated it wants to see Wales in the top five in the world by 2029.

But is that a realistic target given the problems facing the Welsh game at a time when four regions could be cut to two and the talent pool is shallow compared to rival nations?

Tandy said: “I believe in the talent we have in Wales, to get us to where we want to go.

“There’s not going to be a magic wand or a quick fix and then it all changes, but I do believe in the pathway.

“Ultimately you want to have ambition. We want to have ambition to meet those targets, but ultimately there’s a process to get to that as well.

“We have to build performances incrementally. From campaign to campaign we have to be better and looking at how we can build that performance through the exciting group we’ve got.”

Tandy won the Pro12 competition in six years at Ospreys but left the Welsh region in 2018.

He worked for NSW Waratahs in Australia before moving to Scotland, while Gatland made him defence coach on the British and Irish Lions’ 2021 tour of South Africa.

“The one thing that has really driven me from the start is I want to be the best person and the best coach I can possibly be,” Tandy said.

“Did I ever think I’d be a Lions coach? No. Did I ever think I’d coach the Waratahs? No.

“But I think it’s surprising what happens when you have the mindset to be better and to understand as well you have got blind spots and you have got things to work on.”

Tandy takes up his role on September 1 and will prepare for autumn home games against Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa.

He will shape his backroom team along with WRU performance director Dave Reddin, saying there is a “blank canvas” after Gethin Jenkins (defence), Danny Wilson (forwards), Adam Jones (scrum), Rhys Thomas (assistant forwards coach) and Leigh Halfpenny (kicking) assisted Sherratt in Japan.