Edwards demands semi-final from Wales

SHAUN EDWARDS says Wales will be ‘unbelievably disappointed’ if they do not reach the semi-finals. The Welsh have only made the last four twice, in 1987 and 2011, but defence coach Edwards is setting the bar high after wins against Georgia and Australia and group games against Fiji and Uruguay to play. ‘As a coaching group we have been in the semi-final once,’ said Edwards. ‘I think after the two games we’ve just won, if we don’t win our next three I will be unbelievably disappointed. ‘If you do win your next three, you are in the semi-finals, aren’t you? And we’re back to where we were in 2011.’ To do that, Edwards — whose mantra remains ‘defence wins championships’ — wants Wales to up their game, having conceded five tries thus far. When asked if he thinks the glut of points will slow down come the knockout stages, Edwards (right) quipped: ‘I hope it does for us. I couldn’t care less about anyone else! ‘I am hoping we put in an 80-minute strong defensive performance. I was pleased with huge aspects of the game against Australia — we were under huge amounts of pressure in the second half — but we have not yet put in an 80-minute performance at the World Cup. ‘The way the game is at the moment there has never been as many points scored in rugby union with all the law changes. I am not saying that’s a bad thing — fans want to see some tries, don’t they? It’s obviously very difficult to defend for that length of period and it’s credit to our fitness staff for the preparations the boys have been put through. If we had not been so fit we would have succumbed at the end because we would have been under so much pressure. In 2013 we did not concede a try in the Six Nations for five games and in 2008 we conceded two tries in the whole championship. You do not get anywhere near that at the moment because of all the law changes. ‘If you ask any defence coach around the world it is making their job harder. You used to give target points and those have gone up hugely over the last few years.’ But Edwards knows that the Fijians will present a unique challenge to Wales’ defence next Wednesday in Oita. ‘Some of their trick plays around lineouts and starter plays from scrums with the athletes they have are very difficult to defend against,’ he said. ‘We are under no illusions about what they’ll bring. Their set-piece is very good too. I thought their scrum in the game against Georgia was excellent. ‘They are very well coached and organised, and have that X-factor.’