By Barney Burnham
October 6 2005

On Friday night, at the Causeway Stadium, Wasps play the second of their Anglo-Welsh Powergen Cup matches, against Cardiff Blues, who comprehensively beat Saracens last weekend. Barney Burnham has been talking to coach Shaun Edwards about Friday’s match, the season so far, and two returning heroes.  

BB: The big news, ahead of the game against Cardiff, has been that Lawrence Dallaglio is back, only four months after breaking and dislocating his ankle in New Zealand. Is he bionic?

SE: Well, he’s had a very, very good team around him. I think the surgeon did a magnificent job and the physios and all the people around Lawrence have been exceptional. Also, his own effort has been right out of the top drawer. He’s come back at exactly the same weight that he was when he got injured - obviously for those big guys, who like their food, that’s no mean feat! It just shows the professionalism of both Lawrence himself and of his backup staff.

BB: What does his return mean for Wasps? They’re going well in his absence at the beginning of the season, which is unusual for Wasps. It must be a huge boost to have someone like him coming back now.

SE: It is, because we’re coming to a real meaty part of the season, with some really big games coming up, starting with Cardiff, on Friday. Then we go to Sale, and that’s followed by the beginning of the Heineken Cup. Probably the timing of his comeback has been absolutely perfect, because some of the young guys have had the opportunity to get some experience. That experience has been good, because we haven’t lost a game yet. I don’t think we’ve really hit our straps yet, but we’ve been grinding victories out and that’s obviously very pleasing.

BB: Last weekend’s game against London Irish was probably the worst performance of the season. I gather some very strong words were said.

SE: Yes. You can’t expect players over the course of nine months to be at their best every single week. We’d had a strong start to the season and we’d had an easy week, preparing for Sunday’s game. We’d given them quite a bit of time off and I kind of half expected there’d be a step down in intensity for the game. Normally, to get a little bit of a kick up the backside, you take a loss. We’re fortunate to have had that kick up the backside and won. So we’re still in the competition and we’d like to think that come Friday, and over the next few weeks, our intensity level will be back up where it belongs.

BB: One of the Cardiff coaches is, of course, Rob Howley, so there probably won’t be that much about Wasps that he can’t tell his team.

SE: Yes, I think Rob’s been on the phone to a couple of the guys, fishing for a few things, seeing if we’re doing anything different! But I think any team which has Rob Howley on board, whether it be as a coach or as a player, is going to have huge advantages. He was an absolute superstar. He was a pleasure to work with at Wasps when he was with us. His arrival coincided with when our success story started. He’s a legend here at Wasps, and it’ll be really nice to see him.

BB: Let’s come back to Lawrence. Now he’s coming back for Wasps, there’s going to be even more talk about whether or not he’s going to declare himself available for England again. If you were part of the England set-up and he said he was ready to return, would you put him in?

SE: Of course, if Lawrence’s form warrants selection - and I’m pretty sure that, in a short while, it will do - you’ve got to consider it. Absolutely. For me, he’d be nailed on as a captain for the England team - but I presume that sort of comeback, if it does occur, would be after Christmas. I think it would be more advantageous to everybody if his international comeback, if he is to make one, is after Christmas.