Shane Williams Column: Edwards is a must for whoever takes over

While Wales narrow down their search for a successor to Warren Gatland, I think they’re missing a trick when it comes to planning for life after 2019.
My memo to the Welsh Rugby Union is this: sign Shaun Edwards to a new deal and do it quickly or risk losing the best defence coach in world rugby to a rival organisation. That must not happen.
After next year’s World Cup, Wales’ back-room set-up will be ripped to shreds. Warren is moving on, attack coach Rob Howley has openly said he’s going to be seeking a job either in France or England, and I also expect both Robin McBryde and Neil Jenkins to look elsewhere.
But when it comes to Shaun, I have a very strong view that the WRU must pin him to a fresh, long-term contract as soon as possible. Simply put, we can’t afford to let him move on.
There is no-one out there as good as Shaun when it comes to getting a defensive system working perfectly.
Of course we’ve known that for a while now given the success he’s had with Wales, but the three-Test tour this summer has only served to further showcase his importance to our national side.
Wales’ 23-10 victory over Argentina in San Juan in the first Test of the two-game series was a case in point. For a young side containing many new combinations to front up defensively as they did and concede only one try late on was hugely impressive.
The performance had Shaun’s fingerprints all over it.
As a country who have grand plans to compete at the top level and against the best teams in the world, why would we consider letting someone like him go?
I simply can’t understand it.
I’ve seen Shaun linked with England in the last few weeks and there have also been rumours about him possibly returning to Rugby League. Am I surprised at that? Not in the slightest.
Coaches of his quality are always going to attract interest from the top teams and it’s clear to me that Shaun is not someone who is losing his touch.
He is a tough taskmaster on the training field and isn’t afraid to let you know what he thinks of you, I can tell you that for free! But at the same time he’s also a person who brings the best out of you.
As a player you want to play well for him, you want to reward the work he puts in on your behalf, and you could see the result of that with Wales’ tackling in San Juan. It was brilliant to watch.
Shaun’s input into Wales is off the scale, but part of the thinking behind me saying we must get him to stay is the impact he’s had in the regional game too. And it’s the same at youth level.
Cardiff Blues claimed last season’s Challenge Cup thanks to some fine attacking rugby, but don’t play down the importance of the work Shaun did with them in toughening up their defence.
I know quite a few of the Blues players personally and they can’t speak highly enough of him. Shaun has also worked with Wales at U18 level and has plans to spend time with both the Ospreys and the Dragons in the next 12 months. It just goes to show what an asset he is to Welsh rugby.
Warren has said he’s happy for Shaun to explore new opportunities for after the World Cup and I don’t have any concerns about him leaving before then. If Warren thought there was a chance that might happen, he wouldn’t be spinning that narrative in the Press.
The conundrum for the WRU is what happens after the World Cup and with the new head coach set to be named in the next two months or so, I’d urge whoever gets the job to quickly sit down with Shaun, stress how important he is to the organisation, and make him an offer he can’t turn down.
Of course any new head coach coming into a fresh environment should have the freedom to choose his own back-room team. I understand that, but if it’s Wayne Pivac, Dave Rennie, or anybody else who takes on the role, I’m sure they’ll agree that Shaun is the best in the world at what he does.
Warren is the brains of the operation, but in Shaun, Wales have a quiet genius.
To see him in a tracksuit of another international team would hurt me deeply and in the long run, I’m sure it would also hurt Welsh rugby too.