Scotland raid the PREM to secure a ‘high-quality replacement’ for Steve Tandy
Northampton assistant Lee Radford has been recruited by Scotland boss Gregor Townsend, inset
Scotland have raided PREM Rugby for their successor to Steve Tandy, the defence coach who stepped down in the summer to become the new Wales head coach.
Lee Radford has spent only a couple of seasons at Northampton since his switch from rugby league, but the 46-year-old’s impressive work at Franklin’s Gardens convinced Gregor Townsend that he would be a “high-quality replacement” for Tandy.
Radford will double job for the remainder of the 2025/26 season, coaching at the Saints outside of the time he will be working with Scotland across the November and Six Nations windows. He will then take up a permanent position under Townsend in the summer of 2026.
A three-time Super League champion during a playing career at Hull and Bradford Bulls, he coached at Castleford Tigers, Samoa and Hull before joining Phil Dowson’s Saints in 2023.
“His impact has been immense…”
Dowson said: “Lee has been an integral part of our coaching team over the past two seasons, and his impact on how we defend and how we play the game, both from a technical and an emotional point of view, has been immense.
“His contributions towards our Gallagher PREM title win in 2024, and our run to the Investec Champions Cup Final in 2025, were huge – those achievements by the team speak volumes about his quality and influence on our group.
“That quality is now also being recognised at international level, and one thing we talk about all the time here at Saints is being a development club – we want to develop players, of course, but we want to develop coaches and our staff as well.
“Lee is really looking forward to doing both roles in parallel and taking his expertise up to Scotland. I’m sure he will be a huge success up there with Gregor Townsend and his team. Importantly, Lee will remain with us for the majority of this season.
“His continued presence ensures stability and continuity for our PREM and European campaigns, and we are very confident that we have people within our system who are more than capable of stepping into those shoes when he is away with Scotland.”
Radford, who will work with fellow assistants John Dalziel, Pete Horne and Pieter de Villiers under Townsend, added: “I have always aspired to coach on the international stage within rugby union and to get that opportunity with a nation like Scotland is an incredibly proud moment.
“I have visited the Scotland camp a couple of times in the last few years and have come away with a great feeling about the place. The management are well connected and it’s a tight playing group. There is a brilliant chemistry and that’s so important.
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“Scotland have been very sound defensively over the last few years, and there are similarities to how they defend compared to Northampton. My job will be to continue that cohesion as well as adding some of my own touches.
“If you look at the age profile of the Scotland squad, it is all starting to come together nicely and I have been really impressed with how the team have developed recently.
“Having so many players away with the Lions in the summer is a testament to the work that has been done, and I can’t wait until the end of October when I meet everyone for the first time ahead of four exciting matches in the autumn.”
Scotland head coach Townsend said: “We placed huge importance on bringing in a high-quality replacement for Steve Tandy as our defence coach and Lee fits the bill perfectly.
“Lee brings a wealth of experience from rugby league and union on the defensive area of the game and will be able to build on the good work that has been done in that area over the last few years.
“He will fit into our environment really well and I believe our players will respond positively to Lee’s beliefs and ideas around the defensive side of the game and the mindset required to win at the highest level.
“We are looking forward to working with him as a coaching group and learning from his substantial knowledge and experiences.”