4 days ago
14
Shaun Edwards has a message for the rugby world: ‘I’m ready to go and I’m open to offers.’
It’s one which should be heeded by England and RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney. Edwards has never worked with his home nation, but the two would be a match made in heaven a year out from the 2027 World Cup.
For the first time since he retired from playing in 2000, the most successful coach in Six Nations history is available for hire. It will not be long before somebody snaps him up.
Over the past few months, Edwards has been negotiating his severance package with France. The process is now complete and, after enjoying a few weeks of travel around Europe with his family, he is now primed to get back to doing what he loves most.
‘I’ve had a bit of free time,’ Edwards told Daily Mail Sport. ‘I took my family to Rome for a few days. We all went into Saint Peter's Basilica, waited in those big queues, and had a walk around. I'm a practising Catholic, so that was a special place for me to visit.
‘You don't really have time to do all those things when you’re there for a Six Nations Test. I can’t just pop out to visit the Pantheon – as much as I’d like to nip out to see a 2,000-year-old building.
‘A couple of my mates said, "Oh, you look a lot more relaxed than you normally are!” Of course I do. International rugby is tense, but those nerves, that tension and that pressure is addictive. Very, very addictive. I've had that tension and pressure since I was captain of England and Wigan schoolboys. It's something I've had all my life.
‘I'll be truthful here. When I retired from playing, I had about 16 months of no pressure. It was the worst 16 months of my life – apart from my brother dying. When I had no pressure in my life, I was a bit lost, to be honest. I’ve been on gardening leave for a little bit but I’m definitely open to offers now, until I sort out a full-time role.’
For the first time since he retired from playing in 2000, the most successful coach in Six Nations history, Shaun Edwards, is available for hire
Edwards, 59, has worked with top players in his role with France and would be a huge asset for Steve Borthwick
With seven Six Nations titles on his coaching CV, Edwards is one of the most sought-after coaches in the international arena. He is a proud Englishman and the RFU’s past failure to bring him into their coaching team has been one of rugby’s ongoing mysteries.
Five defeats in eight Tests – including a first loss to Italy – has hammered public confidence in today’s England team. The presence of Edwards in the coaching box at Twickenham would be a welcome sight for England fans and a PR masterstroke for national coach Steve Borthwick. Edwards hopes to be involved with a Test team by next year’s Six Nations and he is also open to opportunities in the women’s game.
‘I’m a proud Englishman and everybody loves to represent their country, don’t they? I’m no different,’ he admitted.
‘For the time being, we are still living in France. I have a little rugby room to do all my study. My girls know it's not time to be playing too much with Daddy when I'm in there! I’ve admired a lot of the play from both the men's and women's competitions. I’m always making defensive notes, attacking notes, tactics, new tactics, style of play.
‘I watched all the games between South Africa and New Zealand over the past few weeks. The Springboks look formidable but anything can happen at a World Cup. Rassie Erasmus is a very, very clever man. He’s pulled together coaches from all over the world. England, Wales, New Zealand, Ireland. They are all looking at the opposition. That’s smart. Inside knowledge is really valuable. You know the systems and the players coming through.’
Having won three of the last five Six Nations, France have been the dominant force in northern hemisphere rugby. Edwards has worked closely with Les Bleus head coach Fabien Galthie and leaves his role with intellectual property that could prove invaluable in the run-up to next year’s World Cup.
‘I have no bad feelings towards Fabien and the FFR,’ said Edwards. ‘There’s nothing but good feelings and I’ve been compensated very well. It's been six or seven very, very enjoyable years. Both my daughters speak French and English now. They go to school in France. One of them has started playing a bit there and she’s got the rugby bug now. There are a lot of positives.
‘I’m OK with how it ended because I'd done my job. France hadn’t won a trophy for 10 years before we all arrived. Since then, they've won three out of the last five Six Nations. All the clubs are absolutely flying. They're winning everything in the European Champions Cup, everything in the European Challenge Cup.
'I'm not saying I had a massive influence on everything, but I think I played my part. Tactics normally come down from the international team to the club environment. I think I’ve left them in a better place than when I arrived.’
‘I have no bad feelings towards Fabien Galthie,’ said Edwards. ‘There’s nothing but good feelings and I’ve been compensated very well'
'I’ve won 19 trophies in rugby union and now I’m thinking about how I’m going to get to 20!’ said Edwards (photographed last year)
If England do not make a move for Edwards, there is a strong chance one of their rivals will.
Borthwick currently has a raft of coaches in his set-up who have defence knowledge – Richard Wigglesworth, Joe El-Abd, Byron McGuigan and Kevin Sinfield. None of them have enjoyed as much Test success as Edwards, however.
The 59-year-old is currently back in the UK, staying with an old school friend in Wigan, and is ready to move quickly.
‘I came back for Billy Boston's funeral, so I’ve been catching up with some old friends,’ he said. ‘I’ve got lots of good memories here, like when Billy picked me up and drove me to Cardiff to meet some of his mates at his local pub. The place was just full of smoke.
'I’ve had plenty of time to think this summer but I don’t like to reflect too much because my focus is on the future. I’ve won 19 trophies in rugby union and now I’m thinking about how I’m going to get to 20!’
If England and Sweeney don’t move, the Welsh public would welcome Edwards back with open arms. He was a central figure during the glory years under Warren Gatland and a return to Cardiff would present a romantic plot twist. Scotland, Italy and Ireland could also be potential suitors.
‘I've been coaching for 25 years and I’ve only had three jobs in that time,’ said Edwards. ‘Wasps, Wales and France. The Six Nations is my tournament. It’s what I judge myself on. I love the history of it. I love being involved in it. For me, it’s the best, and it will come around quickly.
'Would I be disappointed if I wasn't involved next year? Of course I would be. Having been the most successful coach in the history of the competition, I’ll be a little bit cheesed off if I’m not.’
