Wales Target Tandy For Vacant Head Coach Role

The Welsh Rugby Union has targeted Steve Tandy arsenic nan caller Wales men's caput coach.

The WRU are looking for a imperishable successor to Warren Gatland who resigned during nan Six Nations pinch Cardiff's Matt Sherratt taking complete connected a impermanent basis.

Tandy is presently nan Scotland defence coach and contracted until 2026 meaning if he accepts nan Wales job, it is doubtful he would beryllium successful spot by nan two-Test summertime circuit of Japan successful July.

Sherratt is nan starring contender to lead that travel earlier Tandy could return complete for nan commencement of nan 2025-26 season.

The caller WRU head of rugby is expected to beryllium officially named this week pinch Dave Reddin successful statement for nan role.

If appointed, Tandy will person his activity trim retired arsenic he takes connected a nationalist broadside successful situation that person slipped to grounds debased of 12th successful nan world rankings.

Wales person suffered a grounds 17-match world series pinch nary Test triumph since beating Georgia successful nan World Cup successful October 2023.

Tandy has been retired of Wales for 7 years aft coaching Ospreys betwixt 2012 and 2018, winning nan Celtic League title successful his first play successful charge.

The 45-year-old near for Australia for a domiciled pinch nan Sydney-based Waratahs earlier linking up pinch Gregor Townsend's Scotland successful 2019.

He besides adopted a defence coach domiciled pinch Gatland's British and Irish Lions squad successful South Africa successful 2021.

He could beryllium aided successful a Wales backroom unit by nan likes of Harlequins caput coach Danny Wilson and Sherratt, who person antecedently worked together astatine Cardiff erstwhile nan Arms Park broadside won nan Challenge Cup successful 2018.

WRU main executive Abi Tierney this period told nan Scrum V podcast of nan criteria nan governing assemblage were looking for and why they were contented pinch waiting for nan astir suitable contender.

"We've done a batch of activity connected this, looking astatine who is retired there, analysing playing style, who useful good pinch younger teams and who besides understands nan Welsh system," said Tierney.

"We person a target database of who we want to spell at. Of people they each want to cognize who will beryllium their statement manager.

"I've already spoken to nan imaginable caller head of rugby astir these things and we'd for illustration to name a caller caput coach soon aft that.

"But depending connected their statement and announcement period, which is often six months, we mightiness request to person an replacement [coaching] scheme for Japan, which we are moving on."