Blood & Mud

All hail Shaun Edwards, again

Not so long ago, when the Six Nations was in full swing and Yoda Ashton was close to being given the shaft offered another job by the RFU, Shaun Edwards was the man who a lot of England fans wanted in his place.  “Why is he in Wales?”  they would enquire, “when he’s English and ace and can shout at people from the touchline and stuff?” 

However, a sizeable group of people on discussion forums and when drunk in pubs were also of the view that he is overrated: a media darling that was all mouth and no results this season.   Looking at the predicament of Wasps in February you could see their point; out of the Heineken Cup, out of the other cup, mid-table mediocrity beckoning in the Premiership and a coach spending a fair chunk of his time with another team.  How wrong such people were.

Edwards always had a full-season plan for Wasps, and like a Bond-villain, he has only revealed his dastardly plan in stages – the only difference is that his plan is likely to succeed, rather than being thwarted by some secret agent in-between shags. 

The Bald One knew his team would be knackered after the World Cup; he also knew that managing them correctly pre-Christmas would enable them to be fit for the sprint-finish that leads to play-off places.  This was demonstrated in spades by the tonking they handed to a decent Bath team on Sunday 

Wasps now go into next week’s final as firm favourites with a relatively fresh squad holding the experience and pedigree to pull off another win.  Edwards will be on the touchline, barking out orders as he strokes his white cat in satisfaction at proving once again just how good he is.  He and the cat will undoubtedly be going something similar in South Africa next summer.

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All hail Shaun Edwards, again

Not so long ago, when the Six Nations was in full swing and Yoda Ashton was close to being given the shaft offered another job by the RFU, Shaun Edwards was the man who a lot of England fans wanted in his place.  “Why is he in Wales?”  they would enquire, “when he’s English and ace and can shout at people from the touchline and stuff?” 

However, a sizeable group of people on discussion forums and when drunk in pubs were also of the view that he is overrated: a media darling that was all mouth and no results this season.   Looking at the predicament of Wasps in February you could see their point; out of the Heineken Cup, out of the other cup, mid-table mediocrity beckoning in the Premiership and a coach spending a fair chunk of his time with another team.  How wrong such people were.

Edwards always had a full-season plan for Wasps, and like a Bond-villain, he has only revealed his dastardly plan in stages – the only difference is that his plan is likely to succeed, rather than being thwarted by some secret agent in-between shags.