Eddie urged to go all out for Edwards
BUT SCOTLAND’S TAYLOR MAY BE NO1 CHOICE
ENGLAND have been urged to mount an audacious bid to recruit Shaun Edwards from Wales, but the hunt for a new defence coach may involve a cross-border raid to the north, rather than to the west.
Eddie Jones must urgently identify a replacement for Paul Gustard after Harlequins confirmed yesterday that the 42-year-old will join them as head coach following the England tour of South Africa next month. Edwards is seen as a primary target, but Sportsmail understands Matt Taylor may emerge as a more likely candidate.
Scotland’s Brisbane- born defence coach is Gregor Townsend’s right- hand man, having worked with him for several years at Glasgow. He is thought to be contracted to the SRU until the end of next year’s World Cup, but that may not prevent the RFU, armed with considerable financial clout, attempting to lure him south.
There is also an obvious case for England to approach Edwards. He was interviewed for the Harlequins job, which suggests that he is prepared to leave Wales if the right role comes along. He is vastly experienced and has an extensive and successful c.v. at club and Test level.
Former England scrum- half Matt Dawson believes he would be an ideal appointment. ‘All England players would benefit from Edwards’s rugby experience,’ he told the BBC. ‘Ask anyone who has had Shaun as a coach over the years and they’ll say he significantly developed them. Surely this would be the biggest gig yet in a phenomenal career.’
Gustard was unveiled by Quins yesterday and was at pains to refute any suggestion that his departure from England was a sign of strife behind the scenes.
‘It’s a big decision to leave, but it’s based on opportunity,’ he said. ‘Nothing about England was wrong. I was negotiating a new contract with England. It wasn’t about my happiness there. It was the fact that this was a great opportunity for me to progress.’
Gustard insisted he did not even have any complaints about being contacted by the famously workaholic Jones at 4am, adding: ‘I don’t mind that. I get up at 4am now!’ But his protests cannot dampen questions about why a fine young coach, seemingly convinced that England can win a World Cup in 18 months, would not want to be part of that historic triumph.
This development follows the abrupt exit last year of Rory Teague, just months after being brought in as England’s skills coach. In addition, there has been considerable turnover among the backroom staff. Jones came in with a reputation as a demanding character known for his formidable intensity, creating high-pressure environments and a willingness to accept a degree of attrition along the way. All the preconceptions appear justified.
This is not a crisis but swift action is required. England need to find and keep permanent attack and defence coaches.
The overall picture is becoming blurred just when clarity is required, with uncertainty about the captaincy and selection in several areas.
Jones will surely want to go into the autumn series later this year with a settled coaching team — and on the back of a series victory against the Springboks.
England need to have everything in place by the time the All Blacks visit Twickenham on November 10. Then it will be just 10 months until they arrive in Japan for the World Cup. It’s all about to happen in a hurry, so the coming weeks and months are crucial — on the field and off it. WASPS’ rookie flanker Jack Willis appears set to miss the South Africa tour after being omitted from the squad for Sunday’s clash with the Barbarians at Twickenham, having suffered a knee injury in his club’s Aviva Premiership play- off defeat at Saracens last weekend.
Danny Cipriani has been listed among the full backs, which opens the door for Jones to experiment by deploying him at No 15.