Getting tackling right will ease the injury threat says Edwards
SHAUN Edwards – rugby’s top defence coach – has warned the game could become even more dangerous if players don’t practise tackling.
Edwards, right, who has helped transform France into Six Nations contenders after a decade of unprecedented success with Wales, compared rugby to boxing.
“A boxer has to do some sparring sessions before going into the ring to prepare for a fight. It would be more dangerous for their health if he or she didn’t.”
Edwards spoke out after
Wales’ record try-scorer Shane Williams said some of the country’s sessions he took part in were often “tougher than games”.
Williams said: “We used to call them BOB sessions – bone on bone – and they were more physical than games. A lot of boys would get more injuries in training than in games.”
Edwards, who was Wales defence coach under Warren Gatland from 2008 until the end of last year and won three Six Nations Grand Slams in that time, said: “My primary thought was to improve technique and thus improve confidence, particularly with the players who were not naturally defensive minded. They are the ones susceptible to concussions.
“My father was forced to retire from Rugby League at 24 through injury and when I was with Wales the welfare of the players always came first.
“We were always trying to find ways to make training safer. We had a fantastic medical team which was proactive and ultra-professional when any player in the national squad suffered a head or any other injury.”
A group of players, including former Wales international Alix Popham and England hooker Steve Thompson, have revealed they had been diagnosed with early onset dementia and probable Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) caused from repeated head blows while playing.
They have started legal action against World Rugby, the RFU and WRU for alleged negli- gence. There has also been a renewed call from academics from three universities for Britain’s chief medical officers to outlaw tackling in schools rugby. Asked whether he thought rugby had a future, Edwards replied: “All I can say is when I played for Wigan, Rugby League head protocols
were introduced and doctors were very serious about concussions.
“When I went to Rugby Union with Wasps there were protocols around concussion and the players, coaches and doctors I worked with were very professional in addressing it.”
Edwards is the most decorated player in Rugby League history. As for whether he feared suffering from dementia from his glittering playing career, the now 54-year-old said: “When I became a professional rugby player and, after what had happened to my father, I knew there was a degree of danger involved and you could suffer from the knocks later in life.
“But the thrill of playing in front of 80,000 people and of wanting to become the best I could was a great motivator so I decided to sign up as a professional, risks and all.”
Edwards revealed Wales phased out most tackling sessions and bone on bone contact during the final 18 months of Gatland’s reign when they posted one of rugby’s best defensive records during a record winning run.
Gatland, British & Irish Lions coach for next year’s Test series with South Africa, stood down as Wales boss following the 2019 World Cup.
Edwards said: “We reached a situation where most of our full-on contact work was done with pads. We decided to cut down on tackling after Leigh Halfpenny caught Gareth Anscombe from behind in a training session ahead of the 2015 World Cup and Gareth suffering an ankle injury.
“As a coach you have to identify what’s best for your players and leading up to the 2019 World Cup the biggest area for us to concentrate on was our defensive work at the breakdown.
“When you have players like Justin Tipuric and Josh Navidi who are so good over the ball, we decided to focus on the breakdown as an area of strength and a source of possession or penalties.”