Argentina snap up defence guru Edwards ahead of World Cup / Photo: Michael Bradley - AFP
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Argentina snap up defence guru Edwards ahead of World Cup
Defence guru Shaun Edwards and former head coach Mario Ledesma have joined the Argentina coaching staff, with the World Cup just a year away.
Englishman Edwards made a surprise exit as France defence coach in June, months after Les Bleus won a second consecutive Six Nations title.
He had been in the job for seven years, having previously spent more than a decade in the same position with Wales.
It led to rumours he may be poached by England ahead of the 2027 World Cup in Australia, not least after he recently took on a short-term consultancy role with England's women's team.
But the Argentine Rugby Union (UAR) announced on Friday that his destination would instead be Buenos Aires.
Ledesma, who was Pumas head coach from 2018 to 2022, returns as forwards coach, with Edwards taking up his customary defence role under Felipe Contepomi.
"I'm delighted to join Felipe Contepomi, his coaching staff and the Argentina rugby team at the end of this month and until the World Cup next year in Australia," said Edwards in a UAR statement.
"I've always admired the ability and quality of Argentine players and I hope to bring some of my international experience to the team during the next year," added the 59-year-old former rugby league great.
He will start work at the end of the month ahead of Argentina's Nations Championship matches against Ireland, Italy and France in November.
Three-time semi-finalists Argentina are in a pool with Fiji, Spain and Canada at the World Cup with a favourable last 16 draw and a path that would likely see them face Ireland or Scotland in the quarter-finals and potentially England or the hosts in the last four.
"Mario and Shaun bring a huge amount of international experience to the Pumas, they know what it means to compete at the highest level and can bring a lot to the group," said Contepomi in the statement.
Ledesma played 84 times for the Pumas as a hooker and was part of the team that finished third at the 2007 World Cup in France.
The 53-year-old coached Argentina to their first ever win over New Zealand, in 2020, but failed to get the team out of a tough group including England and France at the 2019 World Cup in Japan.
G.AbuOdeh--SF-PST
