Shaun Edwards admits World Cup adds pressure for Wales players
Friday 7 August 2015 16:35, UK
Shaun Edwards admits the pressure will be on Wales players to hit the ground running against Ireland on Saturday as they attempt to secure their World Cup places.
After two months of training that included punishing camps in Switzerland and Qatar, Wales enter the competitive phase of their Rugby World Cup preparations at the Millennium Stadium with four Test debutants and a new captain.
Scarlets centre Scott Williams leads a side containing newcomers Eli Walker, Tyler Morgan, Dominic Day and Ross Moriarty as the countdown continues to head coach Warren Gatland's 31-man World Cup squad announcement later this month.
It may be their first competitive match of the season but every Welsh player will be under pressure to perform and Edwards admits that is a strange situation.
"It is very unusual, particularly for some players playing for those World Cup spots, for your first game of the season to be the biggest game of your season," Wales defence coach Edwards said.
"We are all competitive people, and any game of rugby that you go into you desperately want to win, particularly in front of your own fans.
"No-one remembers who wins friendlies in six to eight months' time, but in the here and now it is very important for us because people are playing for spots and you want to get the momentum going into a Rugby World Cup.
"It is almost like we are going into the unknown a little bit because we have got a lot of players who haven't played together before, and a lot of players we've seen play before but who are playing with players they haven't played with before."
Edwards is pleased with the team’s preparations up to this point and is confident the squad has done everything possible to arrive at the tournament in peak physical condition.
But, playing in a tough group that also contains hosts England and Australia, Edwards knows Wales will ultimately be judged by how well they can execute on the rugby pitch.
"We are pretty happy with where we are conditioning-wise," Edwards added. "We have put a lot of hard work in during those two camps.
"Let's be honest, the best rugby team is going to win the World Cup, not the best athletics team. Obviously, being fit and well conditioned enables you to carry out the game-plan that you want to play, but in the end we are a rugby team, and the best rugby team is going to win the World Cup.
"It's the first game of the season, and sometimes you have to tape back some of the enthusiasm, whether you are a 100-Test veteran or coming in for your first cap.
"You are not going to be massively in the groove as if you were six to eight games into a competition. It is important not to overplay, although it is the first game of the season."
