Tandy is handed a five-week deadline

NEW Scotland defence coach Steve Tandy has just five weeks to implement the plans that Gregor Townsend’s men will put in place for the forthcoming Six Nations. Matt Taylor, Townsend’s trusted lieutenant for the last eight years, resigned from his role as No 2 yesterday with immediate effect to take up a coaching role with Australia. Taylor, who has signed a four-year deal with the Wallabies, will do the preparatory work for Glasgow Warriors’ head coach Dave Rennie, who takes over as Australia head coach in the summer. Welshman Tandy, who has been defence coach at the Waratahs in Australia for the last two years, will start immediately as he only has a short period of time to meet the players and get his defensive changes across before the Six Nations. Former French prop Pieter de Villiers, who has been taken on as scrum coach for the duration of the tournament, is also in a race against time to improve the Scotland set-piece. Townsend knew he needed to freshen things up after his side’s exit from the World Cup at the group stages, where they leaked too many tries and struggled for parity at the scrum. Tandy, who was head coach of Ospreys before he joined the Waratahs, believes his experience can improve Scotland’s defensive record. ‘I see this as a big opportunity and am excited to immerse myself in Scottish rugby,’ said the 39-year-old. ‘Being part of Super Rugby for the past two seasons has helped me gain experience in different styles of play. ‘Defence is a huge part of the game and I am extremely passionate about it. With my experiences from both the northern and southern hemispheres, I feel I can add to the Scotland set-up.’ South Africa-born De Villiers played in two World Cups for France in 1999 and 2007 and won 69 caps in an eight-year Test career, which also yielded four Six Nations titles. Brisbane-born Taylor said: ‘I would like to thank the players and the staff of both Scotland and Glasgow Warriors for the friendship shown to me and my family over the past eight years. The moments we’ve shared will stay with us for many years. ‘The Calcutta Cup win in 2018 with Scotland and winning the Pro12 title in 2015 with Glasgow will always remain vivid.’