Shaun Edwards' late mother inspires his Red Roses move
Jess Breach says England's players were won over by Shaun Edwards' story about his mum Phyllis, ahead of the Red Roses' Twickenham clash with New Zealand.
Shaun Edwards has joined England as a consultant until the end of the WXV Global Series in October, and wing Jess Breach says the squad has been convinced he is there for the right reasons. Edwards, 59, left the France men's team this summer and has been helping the Red Roses prepare for New Zealand at Twickenham on Saturday, where almost 60,000 are expected.
Breach, who starts on the wing against the Black Ferns, described the players' first reaction to his arrival and what changed it.
The turning point, she said, was the story Edwards told the squad about his mother. Marlie Packer disclosed at the start of the week that Edwards stood in front of the group and said one reason he wanted the job was that his mum, Phyllis, who died in 2021, never had the chance to play rugby. He added that she thought the women's game was "incredible" and "would have loved to have done it".
Edwards has also said he wanted an insight into the women's game, having never coached in it before. England head coach John Mitchell said on Thursday that Edwards learned all the players' names before he came into camp.
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