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Wales-bound Edwards is still focused with Wasps
Chris Jones, Evening Standard7 Jan 2008
London Wasps insisted today that their decision to allow Shaun Edwards to become the Wales defence coach would not undermine their bid to retain the Heineken Cup or their Guinness Premiership challenge.
It means England will open their Six Nations campaign at Twickenham on 2 February against a Wales side benefitting from the skills of Edwards.
The move also leaves Rob Andrew, the Rugby Football Union's elite rugby director, facing criticism for allowing one of England's top coaches to join a rival country's management team.
Edwards, a rugby league great, is a proud Englishman and totally committed to Wasps. However, he is desperate to test himself at international level and Warren Gatland, the former Wasps director of rugby, has provided that chance following his appointment as Wales head coach.
All England offered in response was a job in charge of the second team and that was not enough to keep Edwards interested. As a result, he will spend an agreed amount of time with Wales in the build-up to their Six Nations matches, working on defence with Gatland while also masterminding Wasps.
Tony Copsey, the Wasps chief executive, confirmed the negotiations with Wales are about to be concluded. The club's board are due to rubber stamp the agreement, which sees Wales offering financial compensation.
Copsey said: "We have had a proposal from Wales along with an offer from England and we are still assessing those offers.
"The Wasps board have to be happy with the agreement and there is no question of our season being affected by any involvement Shaun has with Wales. He remains totally committed to the club."
The Heineken Cup champions face crucial pool matches at home to Llanelli on Saturday and then away in Munster which they must win to have any chance of making the quarter-finals. Their Premiership campaign, meanwhile, is failing to provide the bonus points they need to reach the play-offs.
Wasps missed out on a tries bonus point against Leeds despite winning 25-17 at Adams Park in a match featuring a try-scoring return for England flanker Joe Worsley after 11 weeks out through injury. His comeback is timely as England name their 32-strong Six Nations squad on Wednesday.
The squad is certain to include Wasps No10 Danny Cipriani and Lawrence Dallaglio, the club's captain, believes he should be blooded in the Six Nations.
He said: "If you're going to pick young players, you pick them with experienced players around them." Shane Geraghty enhanced his case for inclusion by guiding London Irish to an excellent win over reigning champions Sale at Reading. His growing maturity deserves recognition following his fightback from a broken hand.
Irish won 20-12 to inflict the first league defeat on Sale since 13 October and they now go into the Heineken Cup matches with Newport and Treviso within touching distance of a first appearance in the last eight.
Saracens are stumbling into their critical home Heineken Cup clash with Biarritz having followed up a loss to Newcastle with a 18-3 defeat at Bristol.
And Harlequins' season is in danger of falling apart. A hefty 42-13 drubbing by Leicester was described as "unacceptable" by Dean Richards, their director of rugby, who must use his two remaining European matches to try to boost flagging morale.
