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There was a meeting between players and coaches this week ahead of the Six Nations
Steve Tandy has stepped up his Six Nations preparations with up to 50 Wales-based players called into a connection camp at the National Centre of Excellence this week.
No rugby or training activities took place and the meeting was about building connections as Tandy tries to get his philosophy across. Two sessions took place – the first on Tuesday and the second on Wednesday morning – with Tandy, Matt Sherratt and Danny Wilson leading.
WalesOnline understands the coaches explained the way he wants to play the game, the type of players he is looking for and the culture he is expecting from the squad. Tandy is due to name his squad for the tournament in around 10 days.
This will be Tandy’s second campaign as Wales head coach and the former Ospreys boss will want his team to take a step forward during the Six Nations.
No English-based players were present and the meeting took place with the full cooperation of Wales’ four professional clubs – Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets.
It was a chance for Tandy to link up with the wider Welsh rugby playing base with many uncapped players also present.
One of the biggest bugbears of Wales coaches over the years has been the lack of preparation time leading into the Six Nations.
“I think because some Welsh players were playing outside of Wales you can’t bring them into this camp whereas other nations have more control,” said Wales and Lions great Jonathan Davies on BBC’s ScrumV The Warm-up.
“I think it’s good. I think it gets you ahead of the game.
“I think that squad then comes into the Six Nations and they can hit the ground running and they are not stumbling going over things.
“They can go through the autumn and go right, this is what the plan is ahead.
“I think it is good to see and I think it will only benefit the Welsh team.
“It must be finally like the regions and the union with Steve Tandy having a (good) relationship now.. he’ll be able to negotiate and build bridges in that way which is good to see.”
Former Cardiff and Wales openside Ellis Jenkins was in agreement with the former Wales centre.
“It is probably something Tandy and Danny would have seen from their time with Scotland,” said Jenkins on Scrum V.
“Scotland would have boys playing in other leagues which aren’t in Scotland but they’d see the benefit of getting everyone in and briefing everyone.
“You are putting a lineout format together, your attacking plays are embedded in or starting to be drip fed in so when it comes to training you can train at intensity.
“Because what you can’t do is integrate a new system and then immediately do it at intensity.
“You’ve got to learn it first.
“If you can get that learning done in the week leading up to it I think it’s great.”
