Quotes by Shaun Edwards

“Well, take the word friendly out of it because it is England versus Wales,”

“Mark has played in three grand finals and in the Heineken Cup final and these games prepare people for Test rugby,”

“The sign of a great player is that players around him become better. Lawrence has that and its a rare commodity. Players who fall into that category would include Ellery Hanley, Martin Johnson and, I guess, Dean Richards, although I didnt see much of him as a player. Others may be more physically talented than them but they cant match their competitive edge. It means so much to them they go through pain to get there.”

“For a sporting great like to him to say that he was prepared to fight for his place, and if he didnt get it, then hed fight even harder, tells you a lot about the man.”

“I am left with an empty feeling.”

“Brian Ashton is a very creative force. The Bath fans are in for a treat over the coming months.”

“I need to keep honing my skills as a coach otherwise Ill go off the boil.”

“Tactics, discipline, astuteness, mental toughness, accuracy. And bottle - having the balls to play.”

“Believe it or not we actually practice putting the ball down properly. It is a bugbear of mine,”

“We defended well but with regards to the finishing, it was absolutely terrible. We will be working on it in the week.”