Woodward slams RFU over Edwards' Welsh role

Mar 11 2008 by Phil Blanche, Western Mail

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD has attacked his former England rugby bosses for allowing Shaun Edwards to slip through the net and join Wales.

Edwards’ expertise as a defence coach has been clear for all to see with Wales having conceded only two tries in four matches, moving them to within one victory of a Grand Slam.

By contrast, England – who only offered Edwards a role with their second-string Saxons team – have lost to both Wales and Scotland during the Six Nations Championship as pressure has mounted on under-fire coach Brian Ashton.

Woodward believes that England’s failure to find a senior role for Edwards was a huge mistake and he believes the Wasps coach has been instrumental in Wales’ unbeaten tournament.

Speaking to The Western Mail, Woodward said,

Edwards and coach Warren Gatland “fit the Welsh psyche” with their no-nonsense approach;

Wales made the right call to make a swift coaching appointment after the wreckage of the World Cup;

Wales are benefiting from playing a more direct game under Gatland;

Kiwi coach Gatland will find it far more difficult in his second Six Nations next year when teams will be “lying in wait” for Wales.

Former Lions coach Woodward became public enemy No 1 in Wales when he overlooked key members of the 2005 Grand Slam-winning team on that summer’s tour of New Zealand.

But reflecting on this season’s Six Nations, he said, “I’m very pleased for Wales.

“I know a few of their players from the Lions tour and it just shows if you compete right at the top you can win as many games as possible.

“It’s not surprised me the way they’ve turned things round since the World Cup because that’s sport. You know Wales have got great players.

“But well done to Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards, it’s exciting times for Wales and it’s been a good Six Nations.”

Woodward had Gareth Jenkins on his backroom staff in New Zealand and he admits he was sad to see him lose his job after Wales’ shock World Cup exit to Fiji last September.

But he applauded the Welsh Rugby Union for making the decision swiftly and appointing Gatland in double quick time.

“I liked Gareth tremendously and he was obviously hugely disappointed with the Fiji result,” said Woodward.

“But what I like about Wales is that when they made a change they made it quick. They didn’t mess around and have a long debate about it whether it was right or wrong.

“It seems to me a bit ‘cosy, cosy’ for England. Wales have made tough calls and seem to have got it right.

“It’s a professional sport and you can’t do this by committee. They went out and made a tough call - it was a big call but they went away and got the person they wanted in Gatland, and they got him straight away.

“It’s not a thing you do by committee or for popularity, someone’s got to make a decision. So you’ve got to say well done to someone like David Pickering [WRU chairman] for doing that.

“England took a long time to do a report and a review but that’s not the way to do it.

“There’s no right or wrong in this because someone just fits – and Gatland and Shaun fit the Welsh psyche because the Welsh players all seem pretty happy.”

Woodward lost out to Gatland as England coach when Ireland beat the Red Rose in Dublin in 2001.

And he admits that he has nothing but admiration for the new coaching team at the helm of Welsh rugby.

“I don’t really know Gatland but the Wasps players – Laurence and the guys who had him there – thought a lot of him,” he said.

And asked whether he thought England should have tied up Edwards’ services, he said, “The obvious answer is yes, they should have found a role for him.

“He’s English, he’s hugely respected and, as I’ve said, you’ve got to make big calls.

“England didn’t make it, Wales did. Simple as that.

“They’re a winning team but I don’t see too many changes [to the 2005 Grand Slam team].

“They’re probably a little more direct than they were three years ago but they’re the same sort of players. When you win it doesn’t matter how you do it.”

But Woodward remains unsure of whether Wales can round off their season with a second Grand Slam in four years, by beating France at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

“I really don’t know if they’ll beat France because it’s going to be a really tough game,” he said. “Wales will start as favourites but there’s going to be a lot of pressure on them.

“The French coach [Marc Lievremont] is learning very quickly and he’s put a tough team out, so it will be a close game.

“It makes for a great Six Nations but, whatever happens, the second year will be more difficult for them [Gatland and Edwards].

“Everyone will be waiting for them.”