Ex-Wales manager reveals why Shaun Edwards’ exit as defence coach could have been avoided

David Skippers
Shaun Edwards and Alan Phillips image

Former Wales defence coach Shaun Edwards and ex-team manager Alan Phillips.

The Welsh Rugby Union’s (WRU) decision to allow Shaun Edwards to leave his role as Wales’ defence coach could easily have been avoided and the decision was a mistake.

That was the word from former Wales team manager Alan Phillips, who felt the decision not to rehire the defence coach was “personal”.

Former Wales head coach Warren Gatland appointed rugby league legend Edwards to his backroom staff in 2008 and when Gatland stepped down from his position after the 2019 Rugby World Cup, his highly rated assistant followed suit.

Edwards was set to return to rugby league to join his former club, Wigan Warriors, after the global showpiece in Japan but the WRU were still involved in negotiations to retain the Englishman’s services.

Wayne Pivac wanted Byron Hayward as defence coach

This, despite new Wales head coach Wayne Pivac wanting Byron Hayward to take over as his side’s new defence coach.

However, Martyn Phillips, who was the WRU’s chief executive at the time, continued to negotiate with Edwards to stay in his position and to work in tandem with Hayward as part of Pivac’s backroom staff.

There was a sticking point in those talks, though, as Edwards wanted a four-year deal but the WRU was not willing to grant him that wish. This, after the governing body had already inserted two-year release clauses in Pivac and his coaching staff’s deals.

By April 2020, Edwards had accepted an offer from France to become their defence coach – a role which he is still occupying to this day – while Hayward was fired at the end of 2020.

Pivac stepped down from his job as head coach in 2022 with Gatland returning to take charge of the team ahead of the 2023 Six Nations.

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And Phillips, who was Wales’ team manger from 2002 to 2019, believes the WRU could have done more to retain Edwards’ services, saying some people had “personal” issues with him.

“He’s one you had to handle differently, he was very deep, very tough. If you look at his record in sport, rugby league and rugby union – it’s second to none. What he’s won, he’s won things everywhere he’s been,” he told the Olly Olds podcast.

“It was a loss for us, he shouldn’t have gone. It was poor management above us in dealing with him on that. He wanted a four-year contract and they only offered him two, then France came in and offered him far more money and a four-year contract and he went.

“There’s people involved with that, that I’ll never forgive them for that because it was personal. People involved in that didn’t like him because he’s a bit of abrupt. But that’s him.”

Meanwhile, Phillips also said he is delighted that Rob Howley has returned to Wales’ coaching staff as an assistant coach after serving a ban for breaching betting regulations.

‘He’s taken a lot of stick’

“I’m really chuffed about him being back in the fold,” he said. “Local boy, he’s taken a lot of stick.

“But people don’t realise how good he was, and how good he is as well. One thing I admire about Rob is that he questions everything. He doesn’t care who it is or what it is.

“Are we doing this the right way? Are we doing that the right way? And he’ll question the players in a nice way, although some players have come out and had a go at him some time ago because we put pressure on them to improve. He’s come back now and I’m glad to see him involved with the under-20s as well.”

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