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The Wales head coach admits players will be unhappy if and when a region is lost but he is confident they will be ready for the Six Nations
Wales head coach Steve Tandy has warned the loss of a Welsh region would spark anger and frustration within the squad, but insists the players are strong enough to come through it together.
As revealed by WalesOnline on Monday night, Ospreys owners Y11 Sports & Media are currently the Welsh Rugby Union’s preferred bidders for Cardiff Rugby. Nothing is set in stone but if the WRU and Y11 strike a deal, that could well be a route to cutting from four to three regions, however that comes out in the wash.
Tandy spent over a decade as a player and a coach of the Ospreys and admits it would sting the players if a team goes. JOIN OUR WALES RUGBY FACEBOOK PAGE Latest news, analysis and much more
“If you were part of any club it would sting and hurt,” said Tandy. “There is lots of history with every club. I played and coached the Ospreys, I am proud of that but I know there is pride around Dragons, Cardiff and Scarlets.
“I am not going to comment on speculation but if I put myself in anyone’s shoes, whoever you represent, it’s going to hurt and there will be frustration and anger. Any time you lose something there will be those feelings.
“I can’t comment specifically on one team when I genuinely know what is happening, because I have been focusing 100 per cent on squad selection.
“We have to be aware of the people as well and we base a lot of our identity on connection and being true to ourselves and the players.
“If they have any issues then they can walk through our door or pick up the phone to speak to us about frustrations or if we can give them a bit more understanding.”
Tandy’s job is hard enough as it is before throwing the off field politics into the equation.
Wales kick-off their Six Nations campaign against England at the Allianz Twickenham Stadium and while Welsh rugby’s off-field issues aren’t ideal, he is confident the squad’s culture is strong enough to cope with it.
“For me, there’s always something you don’t want to talk about,” he said.
“It’s very similar to the autumn and we want to get connected to the boys and spend a lot of time with them. I understand there’s speculation and there’s doubt around a lot of things, so for me it’s being honest with them.
“If they’ve got something to share, if they’re seeking more clarity or anything they want to talk about then we have to be open.
“One thing we can’t do is run away from it or pretend it’s not happening.
“I think that worked well for us coming into the autumn, it’s far from perfect but ultimately for me it’s putting the players, the staff and the people at the centre of it.
“If they’ve got any reservations or if they want someone to talk to or to understand I’ll be doing that with the players.
“There’s always that distraction. When you’re talking about all the speculation, everyone’s talking about it.
“You can’t run away from it and you can’t put it out of your mind.
“The one thing that’s been amazing with these players is what it means to play for Wales and how in sport they can compartmentalise and get on with their training week.
“I believe we’re building enough of a connection on the rugby side with the players that they’ll be truly motivated and I think the best way to do the talking is on the field.”
