Putting forward a best case for the defence

LIONS TOUR INTERVIEW WITH SHAUN EDWARDS: Conceding three tries to the Royal XV did not impress the touring  party's defensive coach, and he wants a better showing now, writes JOHN O'SULLIVAN

SHAUN EDWARDS takes the concession of tries personally. He’s not interested in mitigating circumstances. So when the Lions conceded three against the Royal XV in Rustenburg last Saturday the players would have returned to the dressingroom after the match with a certain amount of trepidation.

Robert Howley, the backs coach, intimated that he couldn’t possibly repeat what Edwards said in polite company before adding with a smile: “Let’s just say that he was disappointed.”

The Lions defence coach may have articulated his displeasure in the vernacular but it wasn’t done for effect or because he needs to live up to an image.

Although occasionally portrayed as relentlessly grumpy – Wasps supporters once wore T-shirts with Edwards’s stony face on them bearing the phrase “smiling on the inside” – it’s fairer to say that he brings a studious intensity to his rugby.

He has a voracious work ethic and expects that of his charges. He doesn’t molly-coddle or waste time when on the training paddock, and his sessions are purposeful, concise and hard. Scrumhalf Mike Phillips, who has worked under Edwards at Wales and now with the Lions, explained: “He’s a great coach and always enthusiastic. Whenever someone steps out of line he puts them straight and that’s what you want.

“When you go out there and miss a tackle or are out of position you know you’re going to get a rollicking. So everyone is doing their best to please Shaun. He’s very committed and a total professional. He is immensely proud of his defence and doesn’t want anyone to come through us. It’s great having someone like that and you respect him so much.”

To better understand Edwards’s passion it’s instructive to delve into his past. He has 33 winners’ medals including eight consecutive Challenge Cup victories (1988-1995) from his days as a rugby league icon at Wigan, making 467 appearances for the club and being voted the fourth best player of all time in that code.

He captained England under-16 teams at rugby league and union and by the age of 18 had passed all the rugby league coaching exams. On finishing his career he joined the Wasps’ coaching team and in his first five seasons under first Nigel Melville, then Warren Gatland and, latterly, Ian McGeechan the London club won six trophies, two Heineken Cups (2004, ’07), a European Challenge Cup (’03) and three English Premiership titles.

He has earned the right to demand high standards of his charges because he set them as a player and a coach. Perched on the dais in the team hotel in Sandton yesterday he was asked to revisit Saturday’s match.

“Obviously we put a lot of work into the defence (in training) and in the first half it went a little pear-shaped as the saying goes. I was pretty pleased with the second half. I think it was quite evident that we weren’t used to defending driven lineouts.

“Our driven lineout defence was not what we expect of ourselves. It is something we have worked on since that game. We haven’t been doing it for a year but thank God it is back. We have worked very hard on certain aspects of our defence and we hope to be on the money against the Golden Lions.”

In speaking to players about him they affirm that he is not dictatorial to the exclusion of feedback from his charges. He likes to be challenged by the players. He also identifies with them and so there is little surprise in learning that he felt their angst on Saturday.

“The players on the pitch are an extension of me. If they are missing tackles or they make an error, obviously I’m out there with them, not in body but in spirit. We actually didn’t do much tackling on Saturday, even though we let in three tries which is very disappointing.

“I think you have to look in mitigation at the Super 14 final. They (the Chiefs) arrive three days before playing at altitude and a team with six or seven All Blacks lets in over 60 points. We have done eight days at altitude now and I’d like to think that the players will have a bit more energy, a bit more zest and have the spring back in their step.”

Medical opinion suggests that the Lions’ players should now be fully acclimatised to the high veldt. Edwards explained: “We had the excuse of just going to altitude on Saturday. This is a night game which might help us with the heat. We will have been at altitude for nine days at that stage. I’m told that after eight days you should feel a little more comfortable. We can’t go into this game with any excuses.

“The Golden Lions have a big ball-carrying number eight (Willem Alberts) who reminds me a lot of Scott Quinnell. They have a good scrum and some really exciting powerful young centres who hit the ball up really well and a flyhalf in Andre Pretorious who is a great stepper.”

Being part of the Lions set-up was a position that Edwards has craved for some time, one he describes as the ultimate challenge. He knows that staring down the Springboks is a difficult assignment but it fuels his competitive juices.

“If you can’t handle that pressure you shouldn’t put yourself up for the job. I have bumped into a few South African people along the way and they asked me what do you do? I say that I am the defence coach. A few of them wished me good luck, said I might need it, which obvious adds a bit more motivation for me.” The ’Boks might just find out just exactly what that entails in the coming weeks.