Wales head coach Steve Tandy is poised to strengthen his coaching team with the expected arrival of Leicester Tigers assistant coach Alex Davies ahead of the autumn Nations Championship campaign.
Davies is set to take on responsibility for skills and kicking, filling a role that has been without a permanent full-time successor since Neil Jenkins stepped away from the senior Wales set-up.
Davies Emerges as Wales’ Preferred Choice
The 40-year-old Davies currently works with Leicester Tigers under head coach Geoff Parling, but is understood to be preparing for a move into the international game with Wales.
His appointment would give Tandy a specialist coach with experience across several areas of the sport.
Davies has previously worked with England Women, Rosslyn Park and the Netherlands, having ended his playing career with Bath in 2020.
His arrival is expected to provide continuity in an important area of Wales’ preparations, particularly with the team entering a significant phase under Tandy.
Jenkins’ Long Association With Welsh Rugby
Davies is effectively stepping into a position that was strongly associated with former Wales fly-half Neil Jenkins for more than a decade.
Jenkins played a prominent role during Warren Gatland’s successful tenure as Wales head coach, working closely with key kickers and backs including Dan Biggar and Leigh Halfpenny.
Between 2008 and 2019, Wales enjoyed one of the most successful periods in their history, collecting Six Nations titles and Grand Slams while establishing themselves among the leading teams in world rugby.
Jenkins Helped Wales Reach World Cup Heights
Jenkins was also part of the coaching staff that guided Wales to the 2019 Rugby World Cup semi-finals.
That campaign saw Wales briefly rise to the top of the World Rugby rankings, underlining the influence of the coaching team during a particularly successful period.
His reputation extended beyond Wales, with Jenkins also serving as kicking coach on four consecutive British & Irish Lions tours in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2021.
Although Jenkins remains employed by the Welsh Rugby Union and continues to work with academy and regional players, he has not been part of the senior national coaching set-up for the past year.
Wales Previously Relied on Interim Options
Since Jenkins’ departure from the senior side, Wales have used former internationals to cover the specialist role.
Halfpenny and Rhys Patchell have both taken responsibility for kicking duties on an interim basis.
However, circumstances have since changed for both former Wales backs.
Halfpenny has moved into a kicking and skills coaching position with Cardiff, while Patchell is now based in Italy with Benetton, where he works alongside former Wales head coach Wayne Pivac.
Those developments have increased the need for the WRU to appoint a permanent specialist.
Davies Adds Experience to Tandy’s Staff
Davies’ expected arrival would see him become part of a Wales coaching group that includes Tandy, Matt Sherratt, Danny Wilson, Peter Murchie, Dan Lydiate and Paul James.
The move would also strengthen Tandy’s preparations as Wales look towards November’s Nations Championship fixtures, giving the head coach another experienced figure to work with the squad’s attacking, kicking and technical skills.
Appointment Comes During Wider Welsh Rugby Changes
Davies is also arriving at a time of considerable uncertainty away from the international field.
Welsh rugby remains involved in an ongoing restructuring process, with the WRU continuing efforts to reduce the number of professional men’s teams in Wales from four to three.
Against that backdrop, adding a permanent specialist coach to the national set-up represents another important step as Tandy builds his staff and prepares Wales for the challenges ahead.
