Defence guru Shaun Edwards reveals England head coach Steve Borthwick turned down his offer to join the men's Rugby World Cup staff. Edwards, 60, left France earlier this year and, after a short-term role with England's women's side, has signed to work with Argentina until the end of the tournament. In a candid interview, Edwards recalled telling Borthwick he would accept any role, even assistant kit man, to be part of the set-up.
Borthwick was happy with his existing staff, a response Edwards respected. Edwards is one of the game's most successful defence coaches, having won three Six Nations Grand Slams during a 12-year spell with Wales and helping restore France as a global powerhouse. He also won two Champions Cups and four English titles with Wasps.
Despite his pedigree, Edwards says he is surprised he has not yet been offered a head coach role with a Test side. He believes he was a strong contender for the Wales job after Warren Gatland's departure in 2019, which went to Wayne Pivac. Edwards was involved with England's women's Red Roses, where he observed a markedly different pre-match atmosphere compared to men's teams.
He noted the Red Roses were joyous before matches, while men's teams often approach games with a 'slaughterhouse' mindset. He highlighted England's defensive performance against New Zealand, conceding only 19 points from 310 tackles, and believes a more relaxed pre-match approach could benefit the men's side.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing