Edwards brings Wasps the best of many worlds

When it comes to captaincy, not even the CV of Lawrence Dallaglio can compete with the notable double of Shaun Edwards. When he was 16 and knee-high to a Great Dane, Edwards led England Schools in a rugby league international against France and a few days later travelled south to captain England against Wales in rugby union. "We won them both,'' he said.

Edwards was not bragging but simply pointing out that he has more of a union pedigree than many people imagine. His appointment to the coaching staff of Wasps in 2001 came out of the blue. Through Ellery Hanley and Clive Griffiths, ex-league players who were involved in coaching union, Edwards was introduced to Nigel Melville, then at Wasps. "I attended a couple of sessions and he gave me a chance," Edwards said. "I'll forever be grateful to him.''

The previous year Edwards, at 33, announced his retirement from league, ending one of the greatest careers in the game. On his 17th birthday he signed for Alex Murphy's Wigan. It was the smartest thing Murphy ever did. Edwards made 584 appearances; the half-back was the youngest to play in a Challenge Cup final; he made his debut for Great Britain at full-back at the age of 18 and went on to captain his country; he won the Man Of Steel award and collected 39 winners' medals. Before union players made visits to Buckingham Palace fashionable, Edwards had received the OBE.

He joined Wasps for a couple of reasons: he liked them and, more importantly, his six-year-old son James was at school in London. "I could have had a coaching job in league for more money and more security, but I might not have seen James for three or four months. Now I see him every day. We watched the World Cup final together, and when Jonny Wilkinson's drop goal went over I'm not sure whether I threw James in the air or he threw me.''

Edwards is widely regarded as Wasps' answer to Phil Larder, England's defence coach. This is another misconception. "My main job is backs coach, and that involves a lot more than organising the defence. Rugby union has adopted defensive strategies from league and in turn has had to come up with something new in attack as a counter-measure.''

Today Wasps play Perpignan, finalists last season, in the climax to Pool Six in the Heineken Cup, a massive game for both clubs. "Our goal is to have a proper crack at Europe, and with the final at Twickenham this year there's a lot to play for,'' Edwards said. "Someone has worked out that if we lose but get a bonus point we could still qualify for the quarter-finals, but we can put that out of the equation by winning. We have got to put ourselves in the firing line.

"Perpignan have a wealth of talent and their wage bill would exceed our salary cap. It's going to involve an incredible amount of emotion and passion. It's do or die, but when we're challenged we usually come up with the goods.''

At the Stade Aimé Giral, Wasps have no intention of falling back on a Maginot Line. "Our defence is based on attack," Edwards explained. "It's high risk for high reward. If one player doesn't adapt to the system it can leave us exposed. Everybody has to be totally motivated because it's so aggressive. We don't even describe it as defence. When we are on our game we're not much fun to play against.''

Like last summer when, with the introduction of a play-off, Gloucester dominated the Zurich Premiership but were destroyed by Wasps in the final at Twickenham. "There was a lot of controversy about the system,'' Edwards said, "but when everything is decided on one game it gives players the experience of huge pressure occasions. That's what happens in the World Cup or in a Lions Test.''

Ah, the dear, beloved, endangered Lions. They have three Tests in New Zealand next year but England's Premier Rugby want the tour condensed to no more than a month, which would infuriate the hosts. It remains a high priority for Edwards. "I would love to go on a Lions tour as the skills coach. Whether that's feasible or not is a different matter. I have met Clive Woodward a couple of times and he let me watch a few of the England training sessions. He is very open and always looking at ideas to improve.''

The same applies to Edwards, who has developed a successful partnership with Warren Gatland, Melville's successor at Wasps. "We have similar ideas,'' Edwards said, "and beyond a working relationship we have become friends. We socialise together. To say I have learnt a lot from him would be an understatement. It's a pretty happy set-up.''

And that is something else Edwards says he is grateful for. His father, Jackie, suffered a serious spinal injury in a tackle when, as a 24-year-old professional, he was playing for Warrington. Last February Edwards' 20-year-old brother Billy-Joe, who played for Wigan, was killed in a car crash. "I don't know what I would have done without the incredible support of the people at Wasps,'' Edwards said. "They helped me through a very difficult time and I'll never forget it. I feel very much at home here.''

Edwards, a qualified league coach, has reached grade two in union and is aiming for grade four. "I'm pretty ambitious. I want to be regarded as one of the best backs coaches in the world. When I arrived here I was a bit surprised at a few things. Some of the core skills, like passing and offloading in the tackle, were lacking. Also at Wigan there was a huge emphasis on strength and power training, which wasn't the case here. They hadn't developed physically the way they should have, but all that has been rectified and there's been a dramatic change. While I've been learning the technical aspects of union I'd like to think I've introduced some of the good things from league.'' Like extra weight-training. Wasps share the Queen's Park Rangers training ground at Ealing. When the footballers take over the gym it takes three of them to remove a weight that Dallaglio has been working on.

"I remember Ellery saying to me that I would relish working with rugby union players,'' Edwards said, "and he was absolutely right. They have such a good attitude. They're a joy to be with. They're like sponges, the way they soak everything up. I am privileged to work with them. The so-called friction between codes is non-existent. Rugby people are rugby people.''