Wasps Dai-ing to sign Wales king Edwards
SHAUN Edwards joining the Wasps coaching set-up would be a ‘fantastic statement for the club.’
That is the view of director of rugby Dai Young as speculation grows over the future of the Wales defence coach when his contract with the newlycrowned Grand Slam champions ends after the World Cup.
Edwards, who spent ten years with Wasps before leaving in 2011, agreed a deal in August 2018 to return to Wigan Warriors as head coach ahead of the 2020 Super League season.
The 52-year-old spent 14 years at the Super League side but his next move appears to be up in the air following a recent interview when Edwards confirmed he ‘hadn’t signed a contract with anybody yet.’
“I agreed with Wigan and thought we would sign a contract,” he said.
“But then Wigan said, ‘it’s okay, we’ll sign one later,’ and I thought that was unusual. And that was nine months ago.”
Wasps emerged as surprise frontrunners for Edwards’ next destination as they seek to fill the gap left by Danny Wilson’s U-turn to join the Scottish Rugby set-up from Cardiff Blues last summer, rather than fulfil his agreement to join Young’s coaching team.
“Certainly somebody like Shaun would be a fantastic statement for the club and it would be a fantastic addition to the coaching team,” said Young.
“Whether that will happen or not I don’t know is the honest answer. But if it’s not Shaun, we would still be in the market to looking to improve what we’ve got.”
Wigan Warriors issued a brief statement following Edwards’ most recent comments regarding his future.
The club said: “Following the conclusion of the Six Nations and Shaun’s comments, we have been seeking dialogue with Shaun directly to clarify to Wigan his intentions.”
Young, speaking to the Telegraph in the buildup to Wasps’ Gallagher Premiership clash with Gloucester at Kingsholm on Saturday, confirmed the club was in talks with coaching candidates.
“I don’t see us making any announcement for two to three weeks,” said Young. “We’ve made no secret of it we want to improve our coaching group. What I mean by that is we’ve only got three. We’ve always looked for at least an extra coach, maybe two. A real quality, experienced guy that can add to the group. “There’s been lots of speculation about Shaun. He is someone who would interest us. “What Shaun said is right. Shaun has not signed for us, had not agreed with us. Yes we would be interested in the
Dai Young
likes of Shaun and coaches of that ilk.
“We’ve got nothing to announce on that front yet, we’re hoping we can get something done in the next two to three weeks.”
Wasps’ current coaching set-up is headed by Lee Blackett (backs), Ian Costello (defence) and Andy Titterrell (forwards).
This is a comparatively small team to many of Wasps’ Gallagher Premiership rivals with the likes of Gloucester having a head coach (Johan Ackermann) operating under director of rugby David Humphreys.
Similarly at Bath, Stuart Hooper (general manager) operates under director of rugby Todd Blackadder.
Wasps’ search for a new coach to join their team has not been a straightforward mission.
Young explained: “Coaches out of contract, same as players, they’ve got to weigh everything up and make sure it’s the right move for them. Making sure they maximise their opportunities and we understand. “There’s no point bringing coaches in who aren’t going to better the environment,” he added.
Certainly somebody like Shaun would be a fantastic addition to the coaching team.