Tandy building a dark blue
● Defence coach reveals thrill at getting call from Townsend and insists he couldn’t turn job down ● He says it’s important Scotland are ‘prepared mentally and physically’ for Calcutta Cup clash
For many “the blue wall” is a political term, coined first for the Democrats in the United States and now for the Conservatives in Wales and the north and midlands of England and Wales.
It was a phrase awarded, somewhat uncomfortably for the Welshman, to Steve Tandy’s time as defence coach for the Sydney-based Super Rugby side New South Wales Waratahs last year.
Overall it wasn’t a great season for the Tahs but their defence stats were impressive and, already viewed as one of rugby’s most promising young coaches after ascending to the Ospreys top job in his early 30s, Tandy was headhunted to be Matt Taylor’s replacement in Scotland boss Gregor Townsend’s post-world Cup coaching reshuffle.
“It was more the boys, I’m not that imaginative,” said Tandy with a smile as he spoke to the media for the first timesincejoiningthescotlandset-up.
“They [Waratahs] bought into it. They bought into defence and they were coming up with a theme. I’d have rather they kept it to themselves.”
Former Neath and Ospreys flanker Tandy was loving life Down Under and still had six months on his contract but said he couldn’t turn down the chance to move his coaching career on to the international level.
“Gregor gave me a call, I was in Sydney with the Waratahs which was an unbelievable experience and me and my family were looking to stay there for a bit longer,” he explained.
“But when the opportunity came up to coach Scotland and I saw the group, I looked at footage and saw the players, I think there’s something really exciting with Scottish rugby and as a package, it was an amazing opportunity and I feel really lucky to have the opportunity to coach an international team in Scotland.”
Defence was one of a few positive aspects to be taken from that nevertheless frustrating loss in Dublin at the weekend. Defeat is always painful but Tandy can take encouragement that his fledgling dark blue wall stemmed the emerald tide on a number of occasions, restricting the Irish to just one early Johnny Sexton try.
Like many, he watched with interest that remarkable game in Paris on Sunday, though he now has the unenviable task of helping devise the tactics and strategy which will keep the wounded but menacing English, with the rejuvenated French a few weeks ahead, at bay with Saturday’s Calcutta Cup clash the first job at hand.
“You know what England are, you don’t get to a World Cup final without being a fantastic team,” said Tandy. “For me, defensively, it’s more about what we need to be defensively.
“We have a good idea about what England are going to bring so it’s
“Gregor gave me a call, I was in Sydney with the Waratahs which was an unbelievable experience and me and my family were looking to stay there for a bit longer. But when the opportunity came up to coach Scotland and I saw the group, I looked at footage and saw the players, I think there’s something really exciting with Scottish rugby and as a package, it was an amazing opportunity and I feel lucky to have the opportunity to coach here”
STEVE TANDY