It's good to be back on Parade – Edwards (From South Wales Argus)

It's good to be back on Parade – Edwards

10:52am Friday 3rd July 2009

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DARREN Edwards has arrived back at Rodney Parade with a dual aim in his new role as Newport Gwent Dragons attack coach.

It is his first major step up the senior coaching ladder, having been Academy chief with Harlequins and also a member of the Wales Under-18 staff.

“The main aim has got to be to get into the Heineken Cup by finishing at least third Welsh team in the Magners League and I hope to help the region move forward,” he said.

“The style and environment is also something I’m going to target by using good practices. It’s important to create a positive environment that the players can buy into and the fans can enjoy.”

Edwards is happy to be back at Rodney Parade where he spent a season with Newport in 2001 during the Tony Brown years.

Prior to that he had been with Saracens for three years, coming into contact with current Dragons coach Paul Turner when he spent a season on loan at Bedford.

“I remember those great games for Newport against Bath and Munster when the ground was packed and it was an incredible atmosphere,” he recalled. “But Joost van der Westhuizen was supposed to be coming, so I thought ‘what was the point in me staying?’ “I was travelling from London anyway where my wife had a good job so I moved up to London Irish where I spent seven years. Then I went to Leeds for as a player-coach which was when I decided I wanted to be a coach.

“I did all the Level 4 exams and got a masters degree in psychology and the two years at Leeds got me out of the comfort zone. Then I went to Harlequins as Academy head coach and first team skills coach as well as helping with Wales Under 18s.”

So after over 400 games at first team level in England and Wales, plus four international appearances for the Barbarians against England twice, Wales and Scotland plus a decent grounding on the coaching front Edwards, now 36, had a major decision to make when the Dragons vacancy cropped up.

He had to decide between renewing his contract with the Harlequins (his deal there continues until mid-August) or going for the Dragons job.

“I was going to extend my contract with the Quins as it went well last season and they tend to promote from within so it could have been a long-term career path for me,” he said.

“But there was that challenge with the Dragons. I found I enjoyed working with Welsh players again with the under-18s and the heart told me to return to Wales, there was that burning desire to be back.

“The bottom line is that I always wanted to come back to Wales,” said the Maesteg-born Edwards. “The opportunity was good for a young coach to influence change. I know the Dragons have got a young, inexperienced backline, but they are competing and there are some gems there with exciting players like Jason Tovey and Richard Fussell.

“I would have liked to have had an influence in bringing one or two more in, but it’s really important to create your own style and you have to be comfortable playing in that style or you’ll go nowhere.

“We have to aim to get up the Magners League table and to be better than last year. We’ve got to get out of the blocks from game one.”

With the arrival of a new young attack coach, the massive decision of Tovey to extend his contract, the signing of new players Danny Lee, Ben Castle, Ali McKenzie, Robert Sidoli, Gavin Thomas and Will Harries, plus the possibility of Matthew Watkins joining as well, there is an air of real optimism about the Dragons.

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