The head coach tasked with rescuing Wales ahead of World Cup
He is set to take charge from September, succeeding Warren Gatland after a period of interim leadership.
Tandy brings significant experience, having served as an assistant coach for Scotland and as defence coach for the British and Irish Lions.
His appointment comes at a crucial time for Welsh rugby, which is undergoing a rebuilding phase and facing challenging upcoming fixtures.
Tandy expressed his honour and commitment to restoring the national team to competing with the world's best.
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Times
40 minutes ago
- Times
What if the England DNA is just never giving up?
In 2014 the FA introduced a set of principles that aimed to define the core characteristics of the England teams and profile the future players who would people them, calling it the 'England DNA'. The decade since then has brought the emergence of a new, technically adept cohort of male and female players. More importantly, both the England men's and women's teams have taken a significant step forward in terms of tournament performance, reaching four finals between them — with a fifth to come on Sunday — of which one was unforgettably won by the Lionesses at Wembley in 2022. These are times that England fans feel grateful to be living through. If you were going to be ultra-critical, though, you'd focus on precisely that idea of England DNA: that shared double-thread which intertwines men's and women's teams and tells us everything we need to know about what an England team looks like, how they play, what their idea of football is. You could probably count on one hand the number of tournament games, even in this era of unprecedented success, where either team has convincingly demonstrated an identity, a way of playing, with the same force or confidence with which Spain — England's biggest rival as the great dual power of the present era — enact their brand of football. Tuesday night's game against Italy was a case in point. There were mitigating circumstances for the Lionesses' rather disjointed and reactive performances against France and Sweden. France was their first tournament game without Millie Bright, Mary Earps and Fran Kirby, with new players bedding in, and Sweden pressed England hard and scored in the second minute: it's a pretty hard ask to serenely impose your style of football in those circumstances. But against Italy, you might have expected more from Sarina Wiegman 's team. They were playing opponents with less quality and far less experience at this level, who for the first half an hour were just trying to feel their way into the occasion. This was exactly the sort of situation where you would expect the superior team, the one playing their fifth straight semi-final, to set the tone and tempo of the match, play their natural game, give a confident exhibition of the way they play. England offered very little of that. Watching them, I had the familiar feeling of finding it hard to discern what they were actually trying to do, the collective joined-up idea of how they intended to create, control and defend. The flip side, of course, is that there was so much to admire in the way England came back. This is a team who never know they're beaten. Once again, in adversity, we saw the best of them. For character, mentality and resilience, England's performance could not be faulted, but it's also worth putting a bit of emphasis on their composure and execution. For the equaliser, Lauren Hemp delivered a superb whipped-in cross to the near post, and Michelle Agyemang finished brilliantly, taking a perfect first touch and then drilling the shot low and hard through the legs of Elena Linari and Laura Giuliani. Given the desperation of the situation, those were moments of exceptional quality. But to be honest, I'm not sure we expected anything less. These Lionesses have thoroughly earned our confidence in their capacity to keep going until the very last second and more often than not, somehow, just find a way. We've seen them do it many times before, after all. Not only could they easily have lost to Sweden in Zurich, they gritted their way past Nigeria and Colombia at the last World Cup, and scored an 84th-minute equaliser against Spain en route to the trophy in 2022. To listen to the players after the Italy game, speaking about the confidence they felt that they could do it again, even as the clock ticked past 95 minutes, was to understand that once a team have done this often enough, that belief, that collective memory, compounds so powerfully that it becomes almost a self-fulfilling prophecy. 'Whilst there are seconds on the clock,' Leah Williamson said, 'it's less 'if' and more 'how'.' I don't think it's mere laziness to draw the comparison with the England men's team: the parallels are obvious. At Euro 2024 in particular, Gareth Southgate's team were often dreadfully inert and lacking in ideas when given the blank slate of a goalless scoreboard and an opponent they were expected to beat: think of the match against Slovenia and the start of the matches against Slovakia and Switzerland. They were not good at dictating games. But give them a desperate situation to react to, and the true quality of the team revealed itself. When Dan Ashworth — then the FA's director of elite development, but now its chief football officer — came up with the England DNA, it was with a vision of formulating a distinct play style in mind. 'As a football nation we have long been characterised by our passion, fighting spirit and effort,' he said. 'Although there are aspects of these characteristics we wish to retain, we do not wish to be solely defined by them.' Bronze, right, and Mead recover in the cryotherapy chamber after a second consecutive game that went to extra time… LIONESSES But where Ashworth had hoped a higher English style would articulate itself, there remains a kind of blank space, one the Lionesses players at this tournament have filled with their evocation of 'proper England': meaning, pretty much, playing with passion, fighting spirit and effort. And yet, there are a few common things which run through the recent exploits of the two national teams. If you had to sum them up, you would probably say: winning duels. Maximising set pieces. Working until the absolute last second and leaving nothing out on the pitch. And pinning the performance on the skill, swagger and determination of individuals rather than an orchestrated tactical masterplan. The question is: is this enough? Does all this constitute an identity in its own right, or is it a poor substitute for one, a scant, bare-minimum ethos which exists in the vacuum where England's answer to Spain's possession-based, positional style ought to be? It's easy to lean towards the latter — and it will be especially so if Sunday brings the spectacle of Spain beating England in a major final for a third year in a row. But when I spoke to the Euro '96 champion Marco Bode last year about Germany's golden era from the 1970s to the mid-Nineties, he advanced the view that the success of those Germany teams was built on work rate, solid temperament and above all, the ability to respond to difficult moments and solve problems. It strikes me that those aren't so different from the virtues which define the England teams now. The reality is there is no English equivalent of Italy's catenaccio, Germany's gegenpressing, Spain's juego de posición, the Cruyff school of the Netherlands. The attempt to define and invent one was nobly intentioned and may bear fruit one day, but right now still feels like a work in progress. And if there's one cardinal lesson which international football teaches us, it's that you can't wish into existence what you don't have; you can only make the best of what you do. England v Spain
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Prince George beams in never-before-seen photo released to mark his 12th birthday
The Prince and Princess of Wales have released a stunning photo of Prince George to mark his 12th birthday. The future King, who was born on July 22, 2013 at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London, looks angelic as ever as he beams in the photo, released via Kensington Palace. The snap, understood to have been taken earlier this year by one of the family's favourite videographers and photographers, Josh Shinner in Norfolk. It echoes Prince Louis 's seventh birthday portrait, released in April. In the snap, the future king is dressed in a white checked shirt layered with a khaki gilet as he leans over a wooden gate and smiles into the camera. He also appears to be wearing a friendship bracelet made of blue-coloured threads - in a trend that he and his sister Charlotte have previously taken part in. George, who is the eldest of the Wales children with younger siblings Charlotte, 10 and Louis, seven, was first introduced to the world when his mother Kate and father William stepped out of the Lindo Wing with him in their arms. Dressed in a summery powder blue frock, Kate glowed as she and William revealed their first child, George Alexander Louis, to the world. George, who currently attends Lambrook School in Berkshire, will move to secondary education when he reaches the age of 13 - although it has not yet been confirmed which institution his parents have chosen to send him to. Among the schools reportedly being considered were his father's alma mater; Eton College, and his mother's; Marlborough College. While nothing is confirmed yet, the Mail on Sunday reported last month that £63,000-a-year Eton was the frontrunner for Kate and William. A source told the paper: 'All roads lead to Eton.' Sport-loving George has delighted royal fans around the world with public appearances alongside his parents at sporting events; including Aston Villa matches with his father and, most recently, the men's Wimbledon final. The 12-year-old sat alongside his parents and sister Charlotte to watch defending champion Carlos Alcaraz take on World No. 1 Jannik Sinner - before the Italian smashed the Spaniard to lift the trophy. An animated George watched in apparent frustration as his favourite player dropped sets to Sinner, and appeared downcast at the final result. It has been widely reported in the past that George and Charlotte are huge Alcaraz fans, and the pair have rejoiced at the 22-year-old's Wimbledon wins in the last two years. Indeed the Princess of Wales revealed in 2024 that Princess Charlotte had been supported Alcaraz as he beat Novak Djokovic to lift the Wimbledon trophy. Prince George was first introduced to the world in 2013 when his parents the Prince and Princess of Wales held him in their arms on the steps of the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London George looked solemn as his mother Kate, patron of the All England Lawn and Tennis Club, descended on Centre Court to award Alcaraz the runner-up dish while Sinner was awarded the winner's trophy. Earlier in the day, the future King revealed tennis is one of the sports he plays as an extracurricular activity; humbly suggesting he's 'alright' at the sport. Ahead of the men's final, George arrived with his family to the All England Club where he chatted to doubles champions Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool. Chatting to the royals, Cash asked George and Charlotte if they play 'tennis'. The pair both nodded, before Cash replied, 'Are you good?'. The future king then modestly quipped: 'I was alright'. While the Prince and Princess of Wales have gone to great lengths to protect George's privacy in childhood, they have previously revealed fleeting details of his interests and hobbies. Among them is his love of Aston Villa FC as he takes after his father Prince William in supporting the West Midlands-based side. George has long been attending matches with his father, looking the image of William as he goes through the rollercoaster of emotions of supporting a football team. The Prince and Princess of Wales also revealed insights into their eldest son's music taste in recent years, sharing that he's something of a rock fan. The Princess of Wales snapped her eldest son in Norfolk just a few weeks before his eighth birthday Little lion! Prince George captured by Kate in an England football shirt to mark his sixth birthday in 2019 In 2023, during a Big Lunch event to celebrate the King's Coronation, William told a royal fan that George was a fan of classic rock bands. Caroline Mulvihill, from the Rock Choir in Windsor and Maidenhead, recounted a conversation she had with the Prince of Wales during the event. 'We were talking about the kind of music we do in Rock Choir and Will was telling us in their household they have a very diverse music taste and George is very much into AC/DC and Led Zeppelin,' she said. Queen singer Adam Lambert has also suggested the young prince is a fan of the classic rock band of which he is now the frontman, replacing founding member Freddie Mercury. Lambert previously recalled a conversation he'd had with the Princess of Wales at her Together at Christmas carol concert, in which she'd spoken to him about Queen's performance at the 2022 Platinum Jubilee concert. He said: 'It was such an honour. I got to meet Princess Kate, which was fabulous. She was absolutely lovely and down to earth and charming. 'She was talking about her son [George] recalling the performance with the Queen at the Palace for the Platinum Jubilee two years before. Adam continued: 'She was like, he said: "Oh is Adam going to play his guitar?" 'She said, "I think he was confused who was playing guitar and who was who but he remembered who you were." I was like, "Oh, that is cute".' The bizarre royal protocol Prince George will now have to follow as the future king celebrates his 12th birthday Today is Prince George's 12th birthday and an important milestone for the future king in more ways than one. While Prince William and Kate will be considering which school George should join next year, the young prince now faces a significant change in his royal protocol. The strict rule is not enforced until a member of the family turns 12 years old and is designed to protect the line of succession to the British crown. It's a protocol that George's father had to follow and also his grandfather during their times as heirs to the throne. From his birthday today, George will no longer be permitted to fly on the same plane as William. Speaking to MailOnline, royals expert Richard Fitzwilliams explained why this rule is followed. Richard said: 'To ensure the continuity of the institution, King Charles and Prince William never travel together. When Prince George, who is second in line to the throne, turns 12 on July 22, the rule will apply to him but not to his siblings. 'He could travel with them, with Prince William in another aircraft or travel alone. George with his mother and two siblings, Louis and Charlotte, during the celebrations for the 80th anniversary of VE day. It remains unclear whether it will be William who flys on his own, separate from Kate and the other children, or if George will instead 'It reportedly needed the written permission of the monarch for Charles, when he was Prince of Wales to travel together with Diana and his sons, but before William turned 12 it did happen. 'William and Catherine have travelled together with their children, but when George turns 12 he will have to travel separately.' It remains unclear whether it will be William who flys on his own, separate from Kate and the other children, or if his son will instead. The bizarre rule was established following a string of tragic deaths in the family involving aircrafts. 'The unexpected can happen, as with Prince William of Gloucester's tragic death in 1972, though this was in a competition. 'Prince George, Duke of Kent also died in a plane crash in 1942, which has become controversial. 'Prince Philip's sister, Cecile, died in a plane crash in 1937, giving birth to a stillborn child,' Richard said. These tragedies have only served to reinforce the Royal Family's belief in ensuring the heirs travel separately. The Prince and Princess of Wales alongside a baby George disembark a plane in Australia in 2014. From George's 12th birthday he will need special permission to fly on the same plane as William George joins his father at an event in Buckingham Palace meeting World War Two veterans. And when William ascends to the throne, Charlotte will most likely have to follow the protocol too. Richard noted that a similar policy exists across the pond where the President never travels by plane with the Vice-President. Whilst this is a new royal protocol for the young prince to follow, it just one of many rules George and his siblings will have been following as members of Britain's most famous family. These include always travelling with a change of black clothes should a member of the family die unexpectedly. This rule was introduced after King George VI died while Elizabeth was in Kenya and she did not have any black clothes. The children also face limits on what they can and can't wear with the girls expected to wear dresses and the boys must wear shorts. On top of this, they can never eat shellfish while on a royal tour to avoid food poisoning. As Prince George gets older, he will be expected to attend more and more official royal engagements. George was snapped beaming as he shook hands with one esteemed veteran In May, George joined other members of the Royal Family for a tea party at Buckingham Palace to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day. The future monarch looked natural as he, alongside his parents, chatted away to World War Two veterans. Prince William proudly told 101-year-old Alfred Littlefield, from Portchester, that George is 'interested' in learning about those who served. The royal added that it was 'very important' for his eldest and the 'next generation' to hear the stories from those who fought for our nation. George was snapped beaming as he shook hands with one esteemed veteran. The Prince and Princess of Wales face the big decision of deciding which school George will attend once he turns 13 next year. In April, the Daily Mail's Richard Eden reported that Prince George visited Eton College before the boarding school broke up for the Easter holidays to see where he would stay if he goes to his father's alma mater next year. Although George might be expected to follow in his father's footsteps and attend £63,000-per-year Eton, it remains unclear if he will do so. There has been speculation that George could follow the example of his mother, the Princess of Wales, and her siblings, Pippa Matthews and James Middleton, and attend Marlborough College, the Wiltshire boarding school where annual fees are £59,000. Unlike Eton, Marlborough is co-educational. George's parents have been spotted at a number of potential choices, including Highgate School in north London. Catherine was reported to be attracted to Highgate because it has a 'world-class' drama department. However, it would seem an unlikely choice as it is 30 miles from Windsor and commuting across the capital could take an hour each way. Richard Eden says that Eton remains the family's preferred choice as William, Catherine and their three children live mainly at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor Home Park, which is just a short walk away. George has four terms left at Lambrook School, in the Berkshire countryside, where his sister, Princess Charlotte, aged nine, and Prince Louis, six, are also day pupils. Eton's Provost – equivalent of chairman of governors at other schools - is Sir Nicholas Coleridge, the former Conde Nast magazine boss who is a friend of the royals. He made clear last December that he would not be doing any favours for chums, however high-born. 'I find myself receiving a torrent of letters and emails from friends of friends, hinting that they hope I can help them secure a place for their sons or grandsons,' Sir Nicholas wrote in The Spectator magazine. 'There is a rigorous admissions system here, run with integrity, and it is awkward when the prospective boy hasn't caught the selector's eye.'
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Tour de France - Milan wins sprint finish to strengthen grip on green jersey
Update: Date: 17:27 BST 23 July Title: Au revoir Content: That's all from a wet finish to stage 17 of the Tour de France as Jonathan Milan wins a sprint finish for his second stage victory of his debut Tour. That also means the Italian rider strengthens his grip on the green jersey after stretching his points lead over Tadej Pogacar from 11 to 72. Overall race leader Pogacar conserved his energy before two tough days in the Alps, and we'll bring you live updates on the first of those stages tomorrow from about 12:00 BST. Do join us then. Update: Date: 17:13 BST 23 July Title: Route map of the 2025 Tour de France Content: No change in general classification then, but expect that to change over the next two days with two gruelling mountain stages in the Alps. Update: Date: 17:05 BST 23 July Title: General classification after stage 17 Content: Update: Date: 17:02 BST 23 July Title: Points classification after stage 17 Content: Update: Date: 16:59 BST 23 July Title: Milan 'more relaxed' about green jersey after fine day Content: Stage winner Jonathan Milan added: "Today was a tough stage. We controlled it from the beginning, with the help of some other teams. They helped me after the first climb when I was dropped, and then in the second with good pace. "It was a difficult final also, because of the weather. We got to the roundabouts in the first positions and it made it a bit of a scare, but my team helped me, they supported me. This is a really fantastic team victory and I have to thank them from the bottom of my heart. "They delivered me in the best position [for the finish], I was really focused for it, and it's a big achievement for all of us." On the green jersey: "It's still not ended. We still have some tough days that await us, the climbs. But at the moment, we've had a lot of fun, and I'm really happy with how it's going. "We'll keep fighting for the intermediate [sprints] and on the last day for the stage, but we'll see how it goes. We have a bit more distance with the points and I'm a bit more relaxed, but I will keep fighting." Update: Date: 16:49 BST 23 July Title: General classification after stage 17 Content: Tadej Peloton crossed safely in the peloton so there was no change in the top 10 of the general classification, with the reigning champion still four minutes 15 seconds ahead of Jonas Vingegaard. Update: Date: 16:46 BST 23 July Title: 'Without my team-mates, I would've been dropped on a climb' Content: Stage winner Jonathan Milan: "I'm really happy, I'm without words. After surviving [a split in the peloton] with the help of my team-mates, I have to prioritise this. Without this, I would not be here. I would already be dropped in one of the climbs. "With the help of my team-mates, every single day, we achieved this result." Milan added that he wasn't aware that other riders had been caught up in the crash just inside the final kilometre. Update: Date: 16:24 BST 23 July Title: Stage 17 results Content: Update: Date: 16:21 BST 23 July Title: Milan strengthens grip on green jersey Content: What a day for Jonathan Milan. The points leader strengthens his grip on the green jersey by getting ahead of his rivals in the intermediate sprint before claiming his second stage win of his debut Tour at the finish. Update: Date: 16:17 BST 23 July Title: Milan wins stage 17 Content: It's a reduced bunch for the sprint and Jonathan Milan proves too strong for Jordi Meeus. Update: Date: 1km to go Title: Ouch! - Crash in the final kilometre Content: Tim Merlier is down, and Biniam Girmay is involved as well. Update: Date: 4km to go Title: Post Content: Jonas Abrahamsen is caught before the sprint teams battle for position. Update: Date: 5km to go Title: Post Content: The riders are into the sprint zone. If there's a crash now, each and every rider in the bunch will get the same time. Update: Date: 7km to go Title: Post Content: Quentin Pacher and Mathieu Burgaudeau are caught by the bunch, which now trails leader Jonas Abrahamsen by 15 seconds. Update: Date: 10km to go Title: Abrahamsen attacks Content: Stage 11 winner Jonas Abrahamsen attacks with 12km to go, with Vincenzo Albanese managing to stay within five seconds as the other two breakaway riders fall away. Update: Date: 15km to go Title: Post Content: The rain's still pouring as we move into the final 15km, with the lead quartet maintaining a 30-second advantage. Update: Date: 16:06 BST 23 July Title: Who should be the main contenders for sprint win? Content: As we mentioned earlier, Jonathan Milan, Tim Merlier, Biniam Girmay, Arnaud de Lie and Kaden Groves will all hope to be in contention during a bunch sprint to the finish. But besides those, Dylan Groenewegen is a multiple stage winner who has barely been in contention so far this year. Jordi Meeus claimed a prestigious win on Champs-Elysees in 2023 while Paul Penhoet, Alberto Dainese, Phil Bauahas, Pascal Ackerman and British rider Jake Stewart are among the other top sprinters. Update: Date: 20km to go Title: Post Content: The peloton is closing in. The gap to the leaders is now down 30 seconds. Update: Date: 15:58 BST 23 July Title: Which teams need a win most? Content: Jonas Vingegaard may be second in general classification but his Visma-Lease a Bike are yet to claim a stage win this year. A stage win would help Arkea-B&B Hotels secure a main sponsor for next year with both current sponsors set to end their partnership at the end of this year. Fellow French teams Cofidis, Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale, Groupama-FDJ, Intermarche-Wanty and TotalEnergies will hope to make their mark in their homeland. Jayco-AlUla, XDS Astana, Israel-Premier Tech and Lotto have also had little to show for their efforts so far. Update: Date: 30km to go Title: Post Content: Here's some hope for the peloton... it's windy as well as wet on this part of the route, and with it being just a four-man breakaway, the leaders are exposed.
