Shaun Edwards, the mastermind behind France’s imposing defence, has indicated he could be open to a future return to either England or Wales as a head coach.
Having previously held talks with England in 2022 before opting to stay on with France, the 59-year-old is now being linked with the role of replacing Steve Borthwick after the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
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Edwards, who served as Wales’ defence coach from 2008 to 2019, was quizzed about the prospect of returning to Wales in an interview with the Daily Mail.
His response was nothing short of intriguing for fans across both England and Wales.
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“Any role interests me in the future, because I want to coach for as long as possible, particularly in international rugby,” Edwards said.
He continued, “I’ve proved myself as a head coach, with a team (Wasps) that won the Heineken Cup, the Premiership, and the Anglo-Welsh Cup. I know that, with my experience and the knowledge I’ve gained from working with people like Fabien Galthié and Gats, I’d be more than capable.”
Shaun Edwards exuded confidence when asked about stepping into a head coach role again, but he remained open-minded, adding, “It doesn’t bother me. As long as I’m in a job where I’m motivated, have good players to work with, who are highly motivated themselves, I can do both – assistant coach or head coach.”
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In a previous interview he doubled down on his desire to coach England or Wales in the future. He wrote: “I will always keep an open mind about coaching England, or maybe returning to Wales, but now my sole focus is on France.
“My French language skills aren’t good enough to be a head coach, so for now I’ll be continuing as defence coach.
“At some point in future I’d like to make that step up to head coach at international level. I’m 56 years old and I’d like to coach into my 70s,”
Super Computer Predicts the Entire 2026 Six Nations – Full Fixtures, Scores & Predicted Table
The 2026 Six Nations Championship is just around the corner, and SPORTS4CAST’s super computer has delivered a full tournament forecast.
Key Takeaways
France look unstoppable, going unbeaten in the predictions.
England are strong challengers, only predicted to lose against France.
Ireland face a mixed campaign, losing to France and England but beating the other sides.
Scotland and Italy provide upset potential, while Wales struggle in the forecast.
Several marquee clashes (France vs England, Ireland vs England) remain highly competitive.
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2026 Six Nations predictions by Round (SPORTS4CAST)
Round 1
Date & TimeHomeAwayPredicted WinnerWin %ScoreNotesThu 5 Feb 20:10FranceIrelandFrance54%21–16Could go either waySat 7 Feb 14:10ItalyScotlandScotland65%20–30Leaning ScotlandSat 7 Feb 16:40EnglandWalesEngland95%41–7Backing England
Round 2
Date & TimeHomeAwayPredicted WinnerWin %ScoreNotesSat 14 Feb 13:10IrelandItalyIreland93%43–12Backing IrelandSat 14 Feb 16:40ScotlandEnglandEngland60%18–23Could go either waySun 15 Feb 14:10WalesFranceFrance89%14–41Backing France
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