Steve Tandy has reflected on the “pretty surreal” experience of being named in the British and Irish Lions coaching team to tour South Africa. The 41-year-old Welshman has arrived with the Lions via Australia and Scotland, and he will oversee the defence when Warren Gatland’s side take on the Springboks this summer. “I think it was Wednesday last week that I had a call from Gats,” Tandy said.

Three Welsh coaches will be at the heart of Warren Gatland’s back-up team when the British and Irish Lions tour South Africa this summer. Robin McBryde, Steve Tandy and Neil Jenkins will assist Gatland for the three-Test series against the world champions, the Springboks. Gatland’s choices were announced on Tuesday morning, along with confirmation that Scotland’s Gregor Townsend will be the attack coach.

Former Ospreys coach Steve Tandy has emerged as a strong candidate for a coaching role with the British and Irish Lions this summer. Tandy – who has bolstered Scotland’s resurgence as their defence coach – is reportedly being lined up for the same role assisting Lions head coach Warren Gatland in South Africa. Gatland is due to confirm his coaching team on Tuesday, but having suffered a series of setbacks through candidates making themselves unavailable, it appears that 41-year-old Tandy, who spent six years in charge of the Ospreys, is in prime position for a role.

Scarlets chairman Simon Muderack insists the Welsh regions have been short-changed over their supply of players to Wales’ title-winning Six Nations campaign. The region’s chief has called for a re-think into the financial distributions within Welsh rugby and believes only a re-allocation of resources can enable the game to recover from the effects of the pandemic. Muderack argues the Scarlets have not been compensated properly for their provision of 13 players to Wayne Pivac’s Wales squad this season.

Warren Abrahams insists Wales Women will learn the lessons from their thumping 45-0 defeat to Ireland and become a better side in the long run. South African Abrahams has quickly joined the long line of beaten Welsh coaches who talk about absorbing lessons, learning, progress, better days ahead, jam tomorrow, etc. That is after just two matches – both one-sided, heavy defeats in which Wales’ most encouraging moments came when they did no more than simply stem the flow of tries being conceded.

Craig Fisher has been appointed as the inaugural head coach of the Wales Physical Disability Rugby League (PDRL) side. The 40-year old has previously been involved in the coaching set-ups with both North Wales Origin and Wales Dragonhearts.

Willis Halaholo emerged as one of the new stars of the Six Nations this season as the Cardiff Blues player completed his journey from New Zealand provincial player to Wales international. A quarter of a century ago, Dale McIntosh charted the same route and believes their progress underlines the continuing strength in their homeland as he tells Graham Thomas. The rise of Willis Halaholo proves just how much depth there still is in New Zealand rugby, former Wales international Dale McIntosh has claimed. Halaholo picked up a Six Nations championship medal with Wales this season – eight years after Wayne Pivac opted not to offer the Cardiff Blues centre a senior contract when they were together at Auckland.

Warren Abrahams has backed his Wales Women’s side to bounce back quickly when they face Ireland on Saturday in their next Six Nations assignment. A new era began for Wales as their first tournament campaign under new head coach Abrahams got underway last weekend. But Wales suffered a heavy 53-0 defeat against a strong French side in Vannes and while it may be exciting to see a new coaching set up, it may take a while to develop a winning mentality.

Wales women’s coach Warren Abrahams believes mixing up his selection is a key strategy to make his team more competitive. Abrahams, who was appointed to his role in November, has made four changes from the side who were dealt a 53-0 hammering in France last weekend. Cara Hope and Cerys Hale replace Caryl Thomas and Donna Rose in the front row respectively. Elsewhere, Natalia John comes in at lock and Courtney Keight starts at 11 as Jasmine Joyce is away on GB sevens duty.

Wales face Ireland in the women’s Six Nations this weekend with much to prove after their opening round heavy defeat against France. It was a result that didn’t really need much explaining, unlike so much else around the squad, according to Fraser Watson. Less than three weeks ago, one of Wales Women’s most high profile performers was crashing over for a hat-trick of tries in a thrilling Allianz Premier 15s encounter. The exploits of the 58-cap international in question, Sioned Harries, weren’t enough to help Worcester Warriors edge a thrilling contest with Gloucester-Hartbury – but they did reiterate her long proven credentials at the top level of the women’s game.

Welsh regional rugby reached a desperate low point at the weekend, gaining the one thing that’s always hard to stomach – English sympathy. As all four regions exited in Europe in varying degrees of disarray, it was left to Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson to try and raise some Welsh morale. After the Scarlets had followed the Ospreys, Dragons and Cardiff Blues in losing at the re-jigged last 16 stages of both European tournaments, Sanderson tried to put a positive spin on a bleak picture.

They say the stats don’t lie, so new Wales Women’s head coach Warren Abrahams isn’t going to enjoy reading them after his side’s opening Six Nations defeat to France in Vannes. How about these for starters: 53 points and eight tries conceded, 36 missed tackles, four scrums lost and 14 penalties conceded. Ouch! Then, you have to consider seven bad passes and eight handling errors in the 53-0 thrashing.

The Scarlets are hoping a new partnership with the New Zealand Rugby Union can help push them into Europe’s rugby elite. The deal is set to involve player exchanges that enable young Welsh talent to sample the most demanding domestic rugby in the world.   When then head coach Brad Mooar left the Scarlets to take up a dream coaching role with the All Blacks last year, just a few months into a three-year deal, it was seen as a significant blow by many.

Dai Young has admitted Cardiff Blues have only themselves to blame for the defeat that ended hopes of a quarter-final place in Europe. The Blues’ director of rugby has told his players they need to learn from crucial errors – including missed tackles – after they collapsed late on to lose their European Challenge Cup tie at London Irish. Despite being down to 14 men, Irish came from 32-20 down to win 41-35 and leave the Blues with nothing left to play in this season apart from the new Rainbow Cup.

The Dragons host Northampton in the European Challenge Cup on Saturday evening, looking for a fourth victory in five games as well as a place in the tournament quarter-finals. That surge has produced confident vibes at Rodney Parade, as skipper Harrison Keddie tells Graham Thomas. Harrison Keddie is planning to bring Dan Biggar back down to earth with a bump when the Wales outside-half makes a return to Wales on Saturday night Just a week after feeling the high of securing the Six Nations title, Biggar is set to make his return to Northampton colours when they face the Dragons in an intriguing European Challenge Cup last 16 tie.

By David Williams Olympian Jasmine Joyce is helping raise standards in the Wales Women’s team that open their Six Nations campaign this weekend, according to coach Warren Abrahams. Joyce – who was a star of the Great Britain Sevens side at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro – has been training with the current […]

Welsh Rugby Union chairman Rob Butcher admits he cannot be sure if the country’s bedrock playing population will come back to the game once lockdown is lifted. With coronavirus cases falling throughout Wales, the WRU last week published a series of steps for community rugby to gradually return to action. The pathway back to participation showed plans for all teams to return to modified contact training by May 1, although there are real fears large numbers may have already been lost from the game.

Dean Ryan believes the Dragons are making timely progress ahead of their European Challenge Cup last-16 tie at home to Northampton Saints. The Dragons completed their Guinness Pro14 campaign with a 24-17 victory over Edinburgh at the Principality Stadium at the weekend. It was not enough to give them qualification for next season’s Heineken Champions Cup – a 45-point winning margin always looked a stretch – but it means they have finished the league with six victories in 16 games.

The Ospreys are weighing up a move to sign top Crusaders loose forward Sione Havili ahead of next season. The potential signing of Havili from Super Rugby would be a significant coup for the Ospreys, with the 23-year-old Tongan-born player able to play both blindside flanker and No 8. Havili has a reputation as an explosive ball carrier, with an abrasive edge in defence which is what the Ospreys have lacked at times this season.

It’s curtains for anyone who accused new Six Nations champion coach Wayne Pivac of lacking style in his domestic arrangements. Wales lifted the trophy on Saturday afternnoon – but not before Pivac managed to pull himself together and defend the choice of curtains in his house. Pivac’s backdrop during a live Friday night television interview after Wales were confirmed as champions attracted plenty of interest.