Wales confirm assistants for Nations Series

COACHING UPDATE: Wales announced the assistant coaches for their upcoming Nations Series.

Former Wales internationals Duncan Jones, Dan Lydiate and Rhys Patchell will join Steve Tandy’s back-room team on an interim basis for the 2025 Nations Series.

The 57-cap and double Grand Slam winner Jones has been coaching with the Ospreys since 2018.

He will operate as a scrum coach when he joins up with Wales this autumn on secondment from the club he made 223 appearances for as a player.

Lydiate and Patchell, who both retired from professional rugby at the end of last season, come on board from the Dragons, where they are both part of the coaching team.

Lydiate, who won 72 Wales caps and played in all three Tests for the British and Irish Lions on the 2013 tour to Australia, featured in Wales’ 2012 and 2019 Grand Slams and was also selected for the 2011, 2015 and 2023 World Cups.

He will work closely with head coach Steve Tandy on defence during the campaign.

Patchell, who made 22 appearances for Wales between 2013 and 2023, including at RWC 2019, will be a skills coach for Wales this November with a specific responsibility for kicking.

Neil Jenkins, Wales’ highest-ever points scorer with 1,049 points in 87 appearances for the national side, continues fulltime with the Welsh Rugby Union as a skills coach working individually with players as part of their personal development plans throughout the men’s game.

Speaking about the appointments, Tandy said: “I’m delighted that Duncan, Dan and Rhys will be joining us for the Nations Series, and I’d like to thank the Ospreys and Dragons for allowing them to take up this opportunity with Wales.

“I’m excited to have the full coaching team confirmed for our four games this autumn, and I know we’re all relishing the chance to get stuck into our campaign.”

WRU director of rugby and elite performance Dave Reddin added: “Bringing Duncan, Dan and Rhys in for the Nations Series to work alongside Steve, Danny and Matt gives us a good balance in the coaching team.

“We said at the outset that we might have some interim appointments, and this is the right option for us at this point.”