Former Wales coach Shaun Edwards revealed the most inspiring players he has worked with
Shaun Edwards has revealed that Shane Williams was one of the most inspiring players in the Wales team he coached.
The France defence coach recently appeared as a guest on one of the latest episodes of the ‘Dare To Be Different’ podcast with Craig White.
Ex-British & Irish Lions coach White worked with Edwards at London Wasps, Lions and Wales, and they also attended the same school together in Wigan, having been friends for more than 30 years.
Speaking about inspiring players he’s coached during his career, Edwards identified Lawrence Dallaglio as one of them. White then asked Edwards about whether there was a specific Wales player who came to mind.
“There were loads of players. Most of them were decent lads, coachable,” began Edwards. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
“Shane Williams was a guy who he had to be in the team because he was so good in attack, just so good.
“And it was my job to get him up to a certain standard in defence and he worked bloody hard at it, he worked really hard at it and fair play to him, you’d go a long way to find a stronger man pound for pound ratio. How strong was he?
“Unbelievable, wasn’t he? I don’t think anyone is given everything, also he had to work on his defence as he did, stepping in, staying out, when to do it and when not to do it.”
“Did you see yourself in him at all, because as a player you had to bat above your weight didn’t you?” asked host White.
“Well, yes, because I was only 12 stone three pounds,” continued Edwards.
“I wasn’t a punishing tackler, even though I’d like to say myself and Andy Gregory in the big games we both tackled 15 to 20 times. In the big games, me and Greg always put it on the line.”
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With the permanent Wales head coach role currently vacant, Edwards has been touted as one of the potential names in the running for the job. In March, he was asked specifically about the Wales head coach role in an interview with MailOnline
“Any role interests me in the future, because I want to coach for as long as possible, particularly in international rugby,” said Edwards.
“I’ve proved myself as a head coach, with a team (Wasps) who won the Heineken Cup, the Premiership and the Anglo-Welsh Cup.
“I know that – from my experiences and the knowledge I’ve got from working with people like Fabien (Galthié) and Gats, and from listening to people from other sports; great football managers etc – I’d be more than capable.
“I’d be very confident about being a head coach, but it doesn’t bother me, as long as I’m in a job where I’m motivated, have good players to work with, who are highly motivated themselves. If I’m assistant coach or head coach, I can do both.”
