A Fresh Start for Welsh Rugby: The Optimistic Tandy Era Takes Flight

Saturday, 08 November 2025 at 07:33

byHarry Tovey

Come tomorrow afternoon, it will be nearly two decades since a Welshman took on the role of a permanent head coach, with Steve Tandy set for his first game in charge. After several years of Southern Hemisphere leadership in the role, the man from Tonmawr takes charge.

A small village in the Neath Port Talbot county borough, just over an hour's drive from the Welsh capital, is where Tandy proudly resides. In a press conference on Friday morning, the 45-year-old stated that there will be ‘seven bus loads’ of support from his home club.

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added Wainwright.

“Yeah, I think they're up to seven (buses heading to Cardiff),” began Tandy.

“It's only seven, but it's a small village in fairness. There's a block of the stand they've got.

"It's the same thing for all the boys when you talk to them, you represent more than yourself, and I think that's where all the help and support we've had through my community, my club, my family, Karen (wife) and the girls.

"The support from my village, and my family still live there, has been amazing. When you represent your nation, you represent them more than yourself, and that's the power of it all.

"I think that's the exciting bit, and I'm really emotional as well. You see the support and what it means to others for you to go and represent your country.

“So yeah, it's going to be a big day for Tonmawr, but it's going to be a big day for us and, more importantly, the team.

"It's exciting times."

However, over the next four weekends of Quilter Nation Series action, Wales face Argentina, Japan, New Zealand, and South Africa - a rather daunting yet optimistic four weeks lie ahead for Welsh rugby. Win against Los Pumas tomorrow afternoon and this could see Tandy’s side go two from two this Autumn.

Tandy, however, has been left to pick up the pieces of a national side that has only won once in its last 19 outings. But this is now a different regime. Changing the scheduling approach during Test week to a more relaxed one has seen players, such as Nicky Smith, who is named on the bench tomorrow, speak about how they play their best when “confident and relaxed”.

This is all despite the last year of Welsh rugby being a grim period. This is all parallel to the off-field drama with the Welsh Rugby Union planning to reduce the number of professional sides from its current four to three.

Not the welcoming perhaps Tandy was expecting, but from some of the players speaking before the encounter with Los Pumas, such as Archie Griffin, Freddie Thomas, Aaron Wainwright and Smith, they have all been impressed by the impact Tandy has already made.

“This one has probably felt a little bit different with the new coaching staff coming in. There’s a lot of positivity, and I think the boys have settled in well,”

Technically, the last Welshman in charge of the national side was Robin McBryde, who took the role as head coach during the summer tour, when Wales played Samoa and Tonga. This was due to Warren Gatland taking charge of the British and Irish Lions tour in New Zealand.

Gareth Jenkins was the last Welshman to hold the position of head coach permanently. However, he was sacked after the disastrous defeat in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, which took place in a car park after losing 38-34 against Fiji.

That encounter at the Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes, saw Wales crash out of the World Cup at the pool stages, rather agonisingly. Mike Ruddock came before and brought Wales’ first Six Nations Grand Slam in 27 years back in 2005, but again, it didn’t end well for him either.

However, throughout Test week, there’s been a noticeable tone in some of Wales’ players' terminology about ‘Identity’. It’s been said more than once. So, what does a performance against Argentina look like that shows the Welsh public, currently torn, just what the identity of the squad is?

Some of Wales' recent greats, such as Alun Wyn Jones, Dan Biggar and Sam Warburton, thrived under Gatland for a number of years. So, who will thrive under Tandy's new guidance? It’s no easy follow-up, but could he be the man who changes Wales’ fortunes?