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Edwards insists Welsh role is helping Wasps
Chris Jones, Evening Standard12 Feb 2008
Shaun Edwards, who has helped Wales make a winning start to the RBS Six Nations Championship, believes his first experience of international rugby union will help London Wasps bid for silverware this season.
Heineken Cup champions Wasps have failed to make the knockout stages of this year's tournament and are struggling to make an impact in the Guin-ness Premiership due to injury problems and international demands. They are only eighth in the table, 12 points away from a play-off place.
However, Wasps can fast track their qualification for next season's Heineken Cup by winning the EDF Energy Cup where they face a semi-final against Leicester on 22 March.
By then, Wasps will have played five more Premiership matches, starting at Bath on Saturday, and head coach Edwards will have completed his debut Six Nations season as defence coach to Wales, who could have claimed the Grand Slam title.
It sounds like a difficult juggling act for the former rugby league great but he relishes the pressure.
He said: "I am convinced it is good for both Wasps and Wales. I would never have accepted the role with Wales if anyone at the club had raised an objection, and they all gave me their full backing.
"I am improving as a coach while keeping sharp by being involved at club level with Wasps. Balancing the two jobs has not been a problem.
"It's been really good and everyone seems to be pretty pleased with the way it's going.
"I am learning things by being involved at international level and I am picking up some good ideas.
"I think I have also been able to bring some ideas into the Welsh set-up working again with Warren Gatland."
Edwards's working week is now a hectic one, however.
He said: "Last week, I was coaching at Wasps on Friday.
"I went down to Cardiff the next day for the Wales win over Scotland and then travelled to Adams Park for Wasps' home game with Sale which, unfortunately, had to be called off because of a frozen pitch.
"I was coaching at Wasps yesterday and will be spending the rest of the week at the club, except for one agreed day when I will join up with the Welsh boys for a session."
Edwards's main focus this week is the Premiership clash with high-flying Bath; a traditionally fractious battle between old sparring partners.
He said: "It's a fact that we haven't been able to put out a full-strength Wasps team yet.
"There has been someone injured at every point of the season and while we have just got one of our forwards in Joe Worsley back, we are without Tom Rees, who has damaged a knee ligament on England duty.
"I have no doubts that when we are at full-strength we are able to give anyone - and I mean anyone - a very good game as people saw last season when we won the Heineken Cup.
Hopefully, we will get close to our full strength squad for the EDF Energy semi-final and, while we don't like to blow our own trumpet, we ended up as the top team in Europe last season with all our players available. We back ourselves against any team."
There were those within English rugby who doubted Edwards could handle both jobs, but he is proving them wrong and success on the club front in the next few weeks will only strengthen his case.
No doubt Rob Andrew, the Rugby Football Union's elite rugby director who failed to find a role in the English management for one of the game's outstanding coaches, is watching Edwards's progress closely.
