Shaun Edwards has backed Warren Gatland to make a difference in close games if he is reappointed as Wales head coach.
Reports have suggested that the Welsh Rugby Union are considering a remarkable offer to Gatland, after Wales won just three of their 12 test matches under Wayne Pivac this year.
There is an element of risk in appointing a new head coach less than 10 months out from the Rugby World Cup, although Gatland’s experience with the majority of players in the Welsh squad would surely help him settle back in.
Gatland’s right hand man during his time in charge was defence coach Shaun Edwards, and while he is staying put with France for the foreseeable future, he has given his thoughts on his old colleague.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Edwards said he believes Gatland would make a positive impact on the team, but argued that Wales are not in as much trouble as many people think.
Shaun Edwards on Warren Gatland.
“It’s not a desperate state, it’s nowhere near as bad as when we took over. I watched the game at the weekend and thought Wales played brilliantly,” Edwards said.
“I thought Alun Wyn Jones was brilliant and the young lad in the back row, Jac Morgan, is a fantastic ball-carrier. It was just the way modern day test rugby is.
“Loads of points are being scored – it’s normal to have a 33-29 scoreline. It’s just getting in the habit of getting on the right side of that scoreline.
“Something I always try to concentrate on is that if you as a coach can make three, six points difference to a team, then you are doing a good job. In fact, you are doing a very good job. A lot of games are decided by those margins.
“I’m sure that Warren would go in with that attitude to make that difference to the scoreline, to be on the right side of it.”
The Welsh Rugby Union will undertake a pre-planned and regular post-tournament review.
“We will now review the Autumn Nation Series campaign in its entirety and in detail, as we always do.” CEO Phillips
📰https://t.co/WbJR5D2gw9— Welsh Rugby Union 🏴 (@WelshRugbyUnion) November 27, 2022
Can the Kiwi turn Wales around again?
As Edwards referenced, Welsh rugby was in a world of trouble when Gatland first took over in 2008, as Wales had crashed out of the 2007 Rugby World Cup during the pool stages after a loss to Fiji.
Gatland led Wales to a Six Nations grand slam triumph just several months later and would remain in charge of the country until 2019, when he bowed out after a World Cup semi-final appearance.
Since then Gatland has taken charge of the Chiefs in New Zealand and coached the British and Irish Lions for a third time on last year’s tour of South Africa, although he has experienced limited success in both endeavours.
He did always seem to be able to get a response from Wales when needed however, and has shown that he can make a big impact in a short period of time.