Shaun Edwards hints he could quit France for Six Nations rivals
04/17/2025 09:05 AM
Shaun Edwards, the mastermind behind France's rock-solid defence, has dropped a tantalising hint that he could be open to a return to either England or Wales as a potential head coach.
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With the Welsh Rugby Union still on the lookout for a new boss after Warren Gatland's departure during their underwhelming Six Nations campaign, the door is wide open for Edwards to make a dramatic comeback.
Having previously held talks with England in 2022 before opting to stay on with France, the 58-year-old is now being linked with the role of replacing Steve Borthwick after the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Edwards, who served as Wales’ defence coach from 2008 to 2019, was quizzed about the prospect of returning to Wales in an interview with the Daily Mail. His response was nothing short of intriguing for fans across both England and Wales.
“Any role interests me in the future, because I want to coach for as long as possible, particularly in international rugby," Edwards said.
He continued, "I've proved myself as a head coach, with a team (Wasps) that won the Heineken Cup, the Premiership, and the Anglo-Welsh Cup. I know that, with my experience and the knowledge I've gained from working with people like Fabien Galthié and Gats, I'd be more than capable."
Edwards exuded confidence when asked about stepping into a head coach role again, but he remained open-minded, adding, “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, I can do both – assistant coach or head coach.”
In a previous interview he doubled down on his desire to coach England or Wales in the future. He wrote: “I will always keep an open mind about coaching England, or maybe returning to Wales, but now my sole focus is on France. My French language skills aren’t good enough to be a head coach, so for now I’ll be continuing as defence coach.
“At some point in future I’d like to make that step up to head coach at international level. I’m 56 years old and I’d like to coach into my 70s, like Wayne Bennett is doing in rugby league in Brisbane. I’ve still got plenty of time!”
Could Shaun Edwards be the next big name to take the reins for England or Wales? Watch this space…
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Duhan van der Merwe – A Race Against Time
Scotland's record-breaking winger Duhan van der Merwe is facing a race against time to be fit for the British & Irish Lions tour – and things aren’t looking great.
The 29-year-old powerhouse, who has crossed the whitewash an incredible 32 times in just 49 Tests, picked up an ankle injury early in Edinburgh's recent United Rugby Championship win over the Dragons.
While the club has stayed coy about the full extent of the damage, they revealed on Tuesday night that Van der Merwe is "expected to return during May" following MRI scan results earlier in the week.
That timeline means the big man is almost certain to miss the rest of Edinburgh's run-in – somewhere between three and five matches depending on their European Challenge Cup fate – just as Lions boss Andy Farrell prepares to finalise his touring squad.
Having started all three Tests on the 2021 Lions tour of South Africa, Van der Merwe looked a near-certainty once upon a time. But with Ireland's deadly duo James Lowe and Mack Hansen, England flyer Tommy Freeman, and his Edinburgh teammate Darcy Graham all in electric form, his chances are slipping fast.
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