Wales trio wait on Six Nations coaching choice

Wales head coach Steve Tandy has yet to contact Dragons about whether coaches Rhys Patchell and Dan Lydiate will link up with the Six Nations squad.

The Dragons duo and Ospreys coach Duncan Jones were brought in as part of Tandy's backroom staff for the autumn international defeats against Argentina, New Zealand and South Africa and last-gasp victory against Japan.

Patchell was responsible for kicking matters, Lydiate helped out with the defence and Jones provided scrum expertise.

Tandy has Matt Sherratt and Danny Wilson as his two permanent coaches in charge of attack and forwards respectively, which he supplemented with the temporary trio for the matches in November.

The Wales squad will link up in the final week of January before the Six Nations opener away against England on Saturday, 7 February.

Gethin Jenkins, Adam Jones, Rhys Thomas and Leigh Halfpenny were involved in interim head coach Sherratt's management team for the 2025 summer tour of Japan.

Lydiate combined playing with coaching duties for Dragons in the 2024-25 season when he made 12 appearances before hanging up his boots.

The 38-year-old former blind-side flanker has stayed on as part of Filo Tiatia's staff with responsibility for the contact area.

Ex-fly-half Patchell joined Dragons last summer in a part-time role and works with the kickers once a week.

Head coach Tiatia does not know if Wales will request the services of his assistants for the Six Nations.

"We've not heard anything yet. I spoke to Steve Tandy on Wednesday night about some different things, but I'll soon find out," said the former Ospreys forward.

"The autumn was a great opportunity for them and they came back from it as better coaches from the exposure to different things.

"They learnt from working with Danny [Wilson], 'Jockey' [Sherratt] and Tandy, plus Duncan who is a good mate of mine, over those weeks in camp."

Ospreys and Dragons meet in Bridgend on Saturday, 31 January when their Wales contingents will be missing.

There is one round of URC action during the Six Nations with Ospreys hosting Ulster and Dragons entertaining Benetton on Saturday, 28 February.