There has been a big development in the search for Wales' new head coach with Scotland forwards coach Steve Tandy emerging as a frontrunner for the job. The former Ospreys boss is understood to be heading up the Welsh Rugby Union's shortlist - which is believed to also feature Pat Lam, Simon Easterby, Franco Smith and Stuart Lancaster - having won considerable plaudits during his six years in the Scottish set-up. An openside flanker during his playing days, Tandy has also coached at home town club Tonmawr as well as Bridgend Ravens and the New South Wales Waratahs in Australia. He was also brought on the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour by Warren Gatland, but is now in line to replace the New Zealander in the Wales hotseat. With no experience in an international head coach role, many Wales fans will be questioning what the 45-year-old could bring to a team at its lowest ebb, with their run of successive defeats being stretched to 17 after another winless Six Nations campaign. But while most of the focus in Scottish rugby has been on head coach Gregor Townsend of late, Tandy's coaching philosophy has already been made clear by the man himself and those that have worked with him. The standout theme of the various tributes that have made to Tandy and his work over the years is the importance he places in getting "total buy-in" from his players. This will no doubt be an attractive quality for the WRU, with it suggested that players' feedback on Gatland in the post-autumn review was far from glowing amid frustrations over coaching methods. Tandy, on the other hand, describes himself as a people person and has spoken about the importance of connecting and collaborating with players, believing in their ability and not bombarding them with tactical details. “As a younger coach I’d give players all the detail, because you felt they needed to know all the details,” he told Rugby World. “You’ve given them everything but a lot of that doesn’t matter. “If you want players to make decisions, you can’t be overloading them with information. So for me, it was just looking at what information I can strip out. What information really matters to enable them to make the best decisions within the system? I think that’s probably a big reflection, but you only learn that by being in different environments, by speaking to different people. “(Total buy-in is key) and as I always tell everyone, if I speak to other defence coaches, no system is the perfect system. Every system has got its flaws, and it’s OK to see the flaws in your system sometimes," Tandy added. "It’s making the team comfortable that there will be a couple of holes, but if you encourage them and they believe in the system and you encourage them to make good decisions that are appropriate for your principles, then you have a real chance to get through that. That’s where a massive thing is connecting with the players.” Former Wallabies star Kurtley Beale, who played under Tandy with the Waratahs, can testify, admitting that he and his team-mates were not initially convinced by the Welshman's tactical proposals when he first arrived at the club, but soon bought into his philosophy. "The best thing about Steve was one, he’s such a great bloke," said Beale in 2021 "He was very good to get on with and everyone respected him. That in itself is very, very important. “Number two, he’s able to get guys believing in the system, and then he’s very flexible, to hear different ideas and collaborate with them. He’s able to make sure that the system is intact and strong and people believe in it. I think that’s why Steve Tandy is probably one of the best defence coaches in the world at the moment.” As for what we could see on the pitch, however, Tandy has long spoken of the importance of instilling a mindset of "pride without the ball" within players during his time with Scotland. With Wales' defence being unravelled too often over the last 18 months - with 33 missed tackles against Scotland last month one of the most bruising statistics alongside a record defeat to England - it is an area that needs significant attention and one that will get it if the former Ospreys boss is overseeing things as head coach. "I want us to relish the defensive roles, to be as energised and excited when not in possession, as we are when we are in possession," Tandy told Planet Rugby during the 2021 Lions tour. "That’s all about mindset – physical aggression and mental clarity fused to allow the player to make great defensive decisions, ones that allow others around them to also fix into the system we employ and options that work inside the framework of good practice that we’ve identified." Above all, Tandy's philosophy is one of collaboration over prescription, with the Welshman also displaying a willingness to learn, develop and adapt his tactical approach - something which Gatland was often accused of shying away from. Whether he is ready to make the step up from forwards coach to one of the most-high pressure head coach roles in the game is another question - but greater unity and a more collaborative effort would be no bad thing for this Welsh squad. "Understanding each other’s skills in [different] areas allows the players to react positively and to anticipate likely outcomes, thus making us much more effective as a team," he continued. "The only way to achieve that is through detailed analysis and open communication and that relies as much upon player input as it does coaching analysis from the back room staff. "The by-product of this process is that players don’t become over-focused on one specific aspect and they become much more aware of what’s happening from their team-mates. "Above all, systems take care of themselves but if we can be aware enough to react to their changes, either in attack or defence, throughout the game, then we will do well. I want to create an environment where the players own their process and to create a calm faith in the principles we adopt. If we do that, we’ll go well"