Former Wales internationals Rhys Patchell, Duncan Jones and Dan Lydiate join Steve Tandy's Wales coaching team for the autumn series.
Former Wales internationals Rhys Patchell, Duncan Jones and Dan Lydiate are joining Steve Tandy's coaching team for the autumn series.
The trio will link up with Danny Wilson and Matt Sherratt in Tandy's Wales backroom staff for the November internationals against Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa.
Dragons duo Patchell and Lydiate retired at the end of last season and are currently in Filo Tiatia's backroom staff, while Jones has been the Ospreys forwards coach for the past five years.
Patchell will have a specific responsibility for kicking, Lydiate will work with Tandy on defence, while Jones will be the scrum coach.
"I'm delighted Duncan, Dan and Rhys will be joining us and I'd like to thank the Ospreys and Dragons for allowing them to take up this opportunity with Wales," said Tandy.
"I'm excited to have the full coaching team confirmed for this autumn and we're relishing the chance to get stuck into our campaign."
Mixture of temporary and permanent roles
Earlier this summer, WRU director of rugby Dave Reddin ruled out any coaches combining permanent club and country duties by insisting Wales was not a long-term part-time job.
Sherratt and Wilson gave up their respective head coach roles with Cardiff and Harlequins to take on permanent Wales assistant positions.
In contrast, Patchell, Jones and Lydiate will initially be involved on a interim basis for this campaign, on secondment before returning to their professional sides.
"Bringing Duncan, Dan and Rhys in for the autumn to work alongside Steve, Danny and Matt gives us a good balance in the coaching team," said Reddin.
"We said at the outset we might have some interim appointments and this is the right option for us at this point."
Rhys Thomas, Adam Jones and Gethin Jenkins were involved on the summer tour of Japan but have returned to their clubs.
Warren Gatland stepped down from his head coach role in February with no members from his backroom staff now remaining in the Wales men's senior set-up.
Rob Howley and Mike Forshaw have left the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), while there has been no mention of the position of former forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys.
Neil Jenkins will continue full-time with the WRU as a skills coach, working with players throughout the men's game.
- Wilson leaves Harlequins to join Wales coaching team
- Sherratt leaves Cardiff for Wales attack coach role
- Patchell retires and joins Dragons as coach
Wales' new coaches
Former Wales fly-half Patchell, 32, retired in the summer and joined Dragons as a part-time kicking coach.
Patchell, who won 22 caps and played at the 2019 World Cup, came through at Cardiff and went on to play for Scarlets, winning the Pro12 title in 2017.
He left the Llanelli club in 2023 and had spells with the Highlanders in New Zealand and NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu in Japan.
Lydiate, who won 72 Wales caps and played three Tests for the British and Irish Lions, retired at the end of last season to take up a full-time senior coaching role with the Dragons.
The 37-year-old made his Wales debut in 2009 and featured in the 2012 and 2019 Six Nations Grand Slams under Gatland.
He played in three World Cups and was part of the Lions' victorious tour of Australia in 2013.
Jones, 47, started his career with Neath before making 223 appearances for Ospreys, retiring in 2015 because of a foot injury.
The former prop won 57 caps and was involved in two Grand Slams during an international career strectching from 2001-09.
Jones became involved in the Ospreys coaching set-up with a scrum role in the 2018-19 season before being promoted to forwards coach in 2020 by Toby Booth.
Wales' Autumn Nations Series
Tandy is due to name his first squad for the autumn Tests on Tuesday, 21 October before the opening match against Argentina on Sunday, 9 November.
The autumn international series comes at a time of major uncertainty about the future of the elite game in Wales.
The WRU have proposed cutting the current four professional men's clubs – Cardiff, Dragons, Scarlets, Ospreys – to just two with a final decision by the governing body's board due at the end of October.
Wales' Autumn Nations Series
Sunday, 9 November - Argentina (15:10 GMT)
Saturday, 15 November - Japan (17:40 GMT)
Saturday, 22 November - New Zealand (15:10 GMT)
Saturday, 29 November - South Africa (15:10 GMT).
Category: General Sports
