For the first time, Steve Tandy will stand on the sidelines at the Principality Stadium as the head coach of Wales this Sunday, almost four decades after he served as a ball boy there during one of his club Tonmawr’s most memorable moments.
In 1986, Tandy’s father, Peter, coached Tonmawr at the old National Stadium when the team from the village – situated about four miles east of Neath – defeated CIACS from Cardiff to claim the Welsh Brewers Cup, a tournament featuring the smaller district clubs in Wales.
That day holds a special place in Tonmawr’s history and remains a significant highlight in Tandy’s rugby career, which has taken him from a tough flanker at Neath and Ospreys to coaching roles in Australia, Scotland, and Wales.
Tandy honed his coaching abilities at Bridgend and Ospreys before departing his homeland in 2018 to take on defence coach positions with the Waratahs, Scotland, and the British and Irish Lions in 2021.
“My mother would probably say I was about six months old when I first held a ball,” said Tandy, who is the first Welshman to lead the men’s national team since Gareth Jenkins left the position in 2007.
“Being a rugby fanatic, I always wanted to be at Tonmawr rugby field with the ball. I was the ball boy (in the Cardiff final), my dad was the coach, and it was Tonmawr’s undefeated season.”
“I was young, but I still remember seeing the big bath. Everyone got in. It wasn’t very hygienic.”
“I remember getting in and thinking, ‘Wow.’ That would never happen now, but from then on, I was hooked.”
“My brother and I would always be kicking a ball around. We’d be wearing the Welsh tracksuit. I remember those Five Nations adverts, Ieuan Evans’ try against Scotland.”
Tandy made the short trip to the historic Gnoll ground and played top-level rugby there for Neath and Ospreys after Welsh rugby went regional in 2003.
Although he never earned a Wales cap, his passion for rugby never waned.
Tandy said: “I was coached as a young boy to be energetic and enjoy my rugby.”
“That influenced me, and it’s something I try to instill. I know it gets very serious and technical, but you still want to have fun.”
“When the boys go out there on Sunday, I want them to play with a bit of freedom and not be overly concerned about every mistake. I’d rather they focus on what they can achieve.”
Wales’ on-field struggles have been significant leading up to their autumn opener against Argentina on Sunday, with the summer victory over Japan ending a streak of 18 consecutive losses.
There are even larger issues off the field, with the Welsh Rugby Union considering reducing the number of men’s professional teams from four to three, putting jobs at risk.
Tandy’s response has been to introduce a new perspective, organizing the training week differently, encouraging more interaction within the camp, and switching the home and away dressing rooms at the Principality Stadium.
Tandy said: “It’s not about the past, it’s more about where we want to go.”
“The changing rooms aren’t about streaks; it’s more about the chance to redevelop and change that landscape and do something that could be exceptional.”
