Edwards: Toulon was good idea

WALES defence coach Shaun Edwards believes working with Toulon on a part-time basis could have benefited him and the Welsh squad.

The Welsh Rugby Union back-tracked on sending Edwards to Toulon after they and Wales and head coach Warren Gatland initially agreed to give Edwards a chance to work with the three-time European champions.

Edwards told Wales-Online: “I want Welsh fans to know that I would never prioritise anything over the Wales team.

“Warren had said I could go. He and I think I could learn from working with those great players they have at Toulon and bring some of the knowledge gained back to Wales.

“I feel I would have improved as a coach working with star names like Duane Vermeulen, Ma’a Nonu and Bryan Habana.

“Habana is the player I most wanted to work alongside because left-wing has been a defensive weakness for us with Wales and is an area we need to improve.”