Star Metro - Scotland captain Tuipulotu grateful for Wales boss Tandy's influence

Tandy spent six years as Scotland's defence chief before returning to his native Wales last year to take charge of the ailing national side.

Tuipulotu and Tandy will be reunited in Saturday's Six Nations clash in Cardiff, with Scotland seeking to follow-up on last weekend's impressive 31-20 win over England at Murrayfield.

Australia-born centre Tuipulotu believes it might have been someone else lifting the Calcutta Cup in Edinburgh had not Tandy brought him encouraged him to open up.

"He was the first coach I had a personal relationship with when I moved a long way away from home," Tuipulotu told a pre-match press conference on Friday.

"He could see that if I'm around people I don't know, then I'm very shy. He put his arm around me and learned about me as a person before a rugby player."

The 29-year-old midfielder added: "I trusted him a lot and I could confide in him in stuff outside rugby as well.

"In those early stages of my development in Scotland, he played a massive part of just bringing me out of my shell.

"He saw the leader in me that maybe I didn't even see at that time. So I owe a lot to him for the job he did in my career."

- 'Passionate' -

Tandy has had a desperately tough start to his Wales reign, with five defeats in six matches, and heavy losses to England and France in the opening two rounds of the Six Nations where the team have conceded 15 tries and 102 points in total.

Wales fans will hope Tandy's inside knowledge of Scotland can go some way to ending a run of 13 successive Six Nations reverses.

"I've always wanted to be a fly on the wall and see what he's saying about our lads," said Tuipulotu.

"We obviously know how Steve coaches, but I'm really glad he's here because I know how passionate he is to be Welsh.

"It's not my place to say, but I feel maybe what Wales needed is a proud Welshman behind them with coaching identity and stuff like that.

"He hasn't got the results over the past couple of weeks, but I know Tanz will be getting his boys ready to put in a really big performance and shock us."

Scotland, who lost their tournament opener in Italy, have often struggled to back up previous wins against England.

During the Six Nations era, Scotland have beaten England on nine occasions but only once have they managed to win the next game -- against Wales in 2023.

"It is always tough backing up an emotional performance like a Calcutta Cup game," said Tuipulotu, with Scotland yet to finish higher than third in the Six Nations era.

"But in order for us to stay in this tournament, we've got to be just as desperate, emotional and clinical as we were last week."

K.Morrison--SMC