Shane Williams column: Steve Tandy and his Ospreys need to get a fast start

We are just a month away from the start of the new Guinness Pro 12 season and one side I expect to see improving on last season will be my old team, the Ospreys and it is a big season for head coach Steve Tandy. I think he felt a bit under pressure last season with the way the results went and he will be wanting to start this campaign positively.
I don’t like to see coaches lose their jobs after a poor run and despite a lot of speculation in Wales over whether  the Ospreys needed a new coach to give them a new direction, I am glad they stuck by Steve.
Having worked with him, I know what a very good coach he is and I can tell you he is someone the players definitely trust. And that is the main thing when trying to turn a club’s fortunes around. The players need to buy into what the coaches want. He has a lot of big ideas for the team and it did not go his way last season so he knows he must deliver before Christmas or the knives really will be out.
He has a strong staff with him; they have added Brad Davis as defence coach from Wasps this summer, and he will be a great addition. I have a feeling this season will be the making of Steve and I am sure he will take the chance.
Ospreys cannot afford to underachieve again. They have a good squad with a nice mix of youth and experience.
I think they have recruited well after a big let-down last season and one of the crucial factors is getting a fast start. Last season the league had almost got away from them by the end of October and they were always playing catch-up from there. Avoid that and they can be contenders again because finishing eighth and as the third-best Welsh region is not what the Ospreys are about.
Injuries were a huge problem for them and restricted any continuity but the plus side were the performances of some of the youngsters, and the players in the age-grade squads with Wales looked good.
Keelan Giles, below, who signed a new contract this week, was outstanding for the U20s. He is certainly a potential star of the future and he is not alone at the Ospreys.
The key thing with these young players, both at regional level and Wales, is that the WRU do not put too much pressure on them. Giles and other emerging U20 talents need to get some game time under their belts and be properly blooded as an Osprey and I am sure Steve and his coaches will know they need to make sure there is no weight on Giles’ shoulders and he can go out and express himself.
If he is allowed to do that he will thrive. It may not happen for him this season but he just needs to be patient and work hard. They think highly of him and I think he can be a great player.
There is some nice experience coming in to the team as well. They have not panicked and made loads of signings, they have just looked to address areas where they felt they needed to strengthen.
I think Kieron Fonotia, who has come in from the Crusaders, is a very clever centre and I can see him making a real impact. He has some zip and X-factor about him and that is what the Ospreys have been lacking in that midfield area since the likes of James Hook moved on.
I am not sure the midfield balance has been quite right at the Ospreys and they do have a fair few options there. I would love to see Ashley Beck back fit and on the field because he was of real interest to the Wales management a few years ago.
Sam Davies was superb last season wherever he played and he came in at second receiver a lot so I think he could add something there. It is a selection headache but that area looks far more exciting and dangerous.
Bradley Davies playing alongside Alun Wyn Jones will really add something to their pack and his experience will only help.
A huge positive for Tandy and everyone connected to the Ospreys was that Dan Biggar and Alyn Wyn wanted to stay with the region.
That sets the stall for the other players. They are leaders, they are ambitious, they want to win things and they believe they can do that at the Ospreys.
They would not be there otherwise and sends a message to the other players. Losing players like that would have been a kick in the guts.
They will not have been happy with how things went last season and I have no doubt they will be at the forefront of making sure this season is better.