The ‘Michael Cheika’ reason why ex-England player wants ‘inquiring mind’ Shaun Edwards on board to ‘galvanise’ the Steve Borthwick ticket
Ex-England player Stuart Barnes wants Shaun Edwards to join up with Steve Borthwick, inset
Former England fly-half Stuart Barnes has called on RFU boss Bill Sweeney to pull his finger out and make a play to recruit Shaun Edwards as part of Steve Borthwick’s suite of assistant coaches.
Reports in France have claimed that the Englishman has been shelved by Fabien Galthié and won’t see his contract through to its 2028 expiry. The development has come despite Edwards helping the French to win a third Six Nations title last March and his seventh in total as he had previously been successful on four occasions with Warren Gatland’s Wales.
This year’s French success was the first time since 2007 that Les Bleus have won the title two seasons in a row, but the manner of their latest success left much to be desired, and it appears that the blame game will result in Edwards’ dismissal.
The French conceded 96 points and 14 tries in their final two Six Nations matches, losing to Scotland 50-40 and then needing a last-gasp Thomas Ramos kick to wrench the title from Ireland with a 48-46 win over England.
Downturn
However, this downturn hasn’t sullied Edwards’ reputation in the eyes of Barnes, and he believes bringing the serial Six Nations winner into the England mix could be the catalyst to revive the Borthwick era currently mired by the disillusion of this year’s fifth place finish.
Having highlighted why the French are in the mood to jettison Edwards ahead of the upcoming three-match July start to the new Nations Championship, Barnes outlined that the assistant would bring the type of energy to the Borthwick set-up that would inspire players beleaguered by the revolving door of assistant coaches on the head coach’s watch since he succeeded Eddie Jones.
Writing in The Times, Barnes claimed: “Edwards has that Michael Cheika capacity to inspire his players. Given the natural reticence of Steve Borthwick, England could do with someone to galvanise them.
“It is a role Kevin Sinfield has played alongside the head coach but he, like the rest of the England coaching panel, lacks the gravitas that comes with age, experience and success. Edwards understands so much more than a minutely detailed game plan. Here is someone who could make players proud and excited to wear their international jersey.
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“There has been too much talk of the ‘English burden’ in this era of overwhelming planning. There is also a dearth of coaches with the experience to ask the head coach to think again. He would be, by some way, the most experienced English coach in the camp. All of them owe their position to Borthwick. An RFU appointment of Edwards to have a free-ranging role would liberate players and coaches.”
Barnes concluded by referencing how Edwards has always been the type of defence coach keen on understanding how attack works so that a team can best fulfil its potential. “Edwards has an inquiring mind and an outstanding capacity to inspire,” he wrote, further teasing out his belief that Edwards could excel in a roving role.
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“I can imagine the present management saying they have all the single-category coaches they need. But here is someone who could coach without a brief. Fingers crossed that the rumours in France are genuine. Fingers crossed that Bill Sweeney has the courage to make an offer to one of England’s most original coaches of the 21st century. France’s loss could be England’s catalyst.”
