Tonmawr's Tandy Prepares For Wales Coaching Debut

Autumn Nations Series: Wales v Argentina

Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff Date: Sunday, 9 November Kick-off: 15:10 GMT

Coverage: Commentary connected BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and unrecorded matter connected BBC Sport online.

After starting his rugby travel successful his beloved Tonmawr, caller Wales caput coach Steve Tandy will return complaint of his state for nan first clip against Argentina this weekend.

As he prepares for astir apt nan proudest infinitesimal of his profession astatine nan Principality Stadium, Tandy will not beryllium alone.

On Sunday morning, 7 coaches and 300 group will time off Tonmawr RFC dressed successful nan rugby club's greenish colours arsenic they support their favourite son.

It has been a travel much than 40 years successful nan making arsenic Tandy originates his bid to put nan religion backmost into Welsh rugby.

Tonmawr is simply a mini colony successful nan Pelenna Valley, 4 miles extracurricular of Neath, pinch nan rugby nine astatine its heart.

Almost 40 years ago, location was a akin exodus to Cardiff from nan colony erstwhile Tonmawr went to nan aged National Stadium successful 1986 to triumph nan Welsh Brewers Cup pinch a hard-fought 9-6 triumph complete Cardiff Internationals Athletic Club (CIACS).

On that typical time successful nan club's history, a definite six-year-old Tandy was mascot and his begetter Peter was coach.

"It was Tonmawr's invincible season," recalled Tandy. "It was a monolithic time retired for nan full colony and it's astonishing to still retrieve it.

"To spot nan trophy wherever it is successful nan rugby nine is amazing, truthful I person awesome memories."

Now Tandy is making his ain history.

"There is simply a monolithic buzz astir nan nine and nan village," said Tonmawr president Shaun Hutchings.

"Steve is simply a genuine bully guy, very humble pinch zero ego.

"He has ne'er forgotten his roots and has ever engaged pinch nan club. He was only up present past week pinch our under-16s. Rugby is successful his blood."

Hutchings has known Tandy since they were 12, pinch nan brace playing inferior and younker rugby together.

"Steve was ever looking to spell that other mile and much committed than nan remainder of us," said Hutchings.

"We ever knew increasing up Steve had aspirations and was going location successful rugby.

"Did I cognize past he was going to beryllium Wales coach? No, astir apt not.

"It is an astonishing accomplishment he has sewage nan apical job. We are proud of that and I'm judge his family are also."

Those family links are evident. Steve played for nan club, arsenic did his grandfather Jimmy, begetter Peter and relative Kevin, whose boy - Steve's nephew - Elliot presently captains nan first team.

His begetter still helps looks aft nan transportation astatine Tonmawr and his champion friend Ross coaches nan under-16s.

"As a family we are truthful proud of him," Elliot Tandy told Newyddion.

"Steve is simply a existent driven and motivated person. He has made immoderate immense sacrifices to get wherever he is coming and get specified a highly respected job.

"He is still truthful down to world and comes up nan nine and has a bully laughter pinch nan boys. He loves being backmost astatine his section nine pinch nan group he knows.

"He has been a monolithic domiciled exemplary for me. He comes from this mini colony which he has helped put connected nan map.

"It shows to group present what you tin execute if you are consenting to activity hard."

Former subordinate Jamie Costain wells up pinch pridefulness erstwhile talking astir a man he has watched turn up.

"We are a mini colony and I would opportunity practically everybody would person links to him and nan family," said Costain.

"It has been an astonishing journey. Tonmawr is ingrained successful Steven and nan Tandy family aft he started pinch nan juniors, went done to younker and nan elder broadside which he besides coached."

Tonmawr will ever guarantee Tandy remains grounded.

"The beauty of our crippled is that organization feel," said Elliot Tandy.

"There's thing for everyone. There are tons of issues successful life, but there's ever a rugby nine to spell to."

Tandy, who started astatine Neath connected nan aforesaid time arsenic erstwhile Wales and Lions helping Shane Williams, played much than 175 games for nan Welsh All Blacks and Ospreys.

He started his coaching profession pinch Ospreys Under-16s and spent clip helping guideline Tonmawr, earlier being appointed caput coach of Bridgend.

Tandy was past thrust into nan master spotlight successful February 2012 arsenic Ospreys caput coach, aged only 32. He took things successful his stride by guiding his star-studded broadside to nan Pro12 title that season.

Ospreys reached nan convention semi-finals connected 2 much occasions during Tandy's tenure but ne'er cracked Europe, and he was fto spell successful January 2018.

He made his measurement to Australia wherever he linked up arsenic defence coach pinch Super Rugby broadside Waratahs, earlier being snapped up by Scotland pursuing nan 2019 World Cup.

Tandy spent a six-year stint successful Gregor Townsend's backroom staff, besides having a spell pinch Warren Gatland's British and Irish Lions broadside successful South Africa successful 2021.

Tandy returned to Wales aft a seven-year absence erstwhile he was appointed nationalist caput coach by caller Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) head of rugby and elite capacity Dave Reddin.

"Steve is an exceptional individual, he's sewage superb narration skills," said Reddin.

"He is 1 of nan champion group connectors I've met and that's going to springiness players information successful nan measurement they're capable to spell and definitive themselves and play."

Tandy has go nan first Welshman to person nan occupation connected a imperishable ground since Gareth Jenkins successful 2007.

New Zealanders Graham Henry, Steve Hansen, Warren Gatland and Wayne Pivac person held nan coveted domiciled during nan 21st century.

Wales person now turned to a homegrown coach by appointing Tandy to nan apical occupation successful a Welsh rugby strategy which seems successful perpetual crisis.

Just earlier Tandy's first squad met up, nan WRU announced plans to trim 1 of nan 4 Welsh men's master teams, a move that will person created much uncertainty among nan players.

Tandy will request to show his group skills arsenic he comes into nan domiciled successful a clip of turmoil successful Welsh rugby.

Tandy has a no-nonsense constituent successful his armoury.

"Steve is simply a man pinch heavy tegument and a reliable attitude," said Wales and Lions helping fable Shane Williams.

"He is simply a no-nonsense feline and precisely what Wales need. He will make nan squad mentally tough, difficult to beat.

"He needs to instil it successful nan squad they are bully players, they request to hide astir nan past 24 months.

"It's not an overnight hole and he's realistic successful what he wants to achieve. I person complete religion successful him."

Tandy's style is besides hands-on and he has created a relatable caput coach figure.

Gloucester centre Max Llewellyn has talked astir really Tandy has phoned players earlier squads person been announced to support successful touch.

Prop Archie Griffin says Tandy is "not a caput coach type", who is trying to get much progressive pinch nan players and not person division.

Wales adjunct coach Danny Wilson, who worked pinch Tandy successful Scotland, described him arsenic a "caring and narration coach", who had already "put his stamp connected nan environment".

Tandy has besides changed nan squad's moving week.

"I've been fortunate to person experiences successful different environments truthful I was looking astatine things and seeking feedback connected really players felt," said Tandy.

"It's not a reflection of nan past, it's much astir wherever we want to spell to conscionable alteration things up and make it consciousness different."

Tandy has besides moved Wales' changing room astatine nan Principality Stadium, a location venue wherever Wales person not won successful 9 matches and much than 2 years.

"It isn't astir streaks, it's much astir nan scope to redevelop and alteration that scenery and really we spot that working," said Tandy.

"It wasn't astir not winning for a definite magnitude of time, it's much if we're changing things and learning differently, that needs to beryllium matched down astatine nan stadium."

So will those changes work?

The sadistic truth is Tandy has taken complete a broadside languishing 12th successful nan world rankings which had suffered a grounds 18-Test losing streak earlier a triumph against Japan successful Kobe successful July.

Maybe nan last connection astir whether Tandy's tenure tin beryllium successful deserves to travel from Tonmawr.

"Even though he has been retired of nan state for a fewer years, he knows Welsh rugby wrong retired and from nan bottommost up," said Tonmawr vice-president Jamie Costain.

"Knowing Steven, he will put a large effort into putting Welsh rugby backmost wherever it belongs."

The Tonmawr religious will beryllium location connected Sunday to witnesser nan commencement of that process. They will beryllium difficult to miss.