Irish trad song row sparked Edwards ban

SHAUN EDWARDS was suspended from Wales’ Six Nations clash with France after a heated bust-up over the singing of an Irish folk song on the team bus.

Warren Gatland’s number two missed the 28-9 defeat in Paris after he and another member of the Wales back-room staff, sports scientist and Monaghan native Fergus Connolly, were each disciplined through the team’s code of conduct procedure.

But Welsh newspaper The Western Mail yesterday revealed that the two men exchanged words over the song as the Welsh team were travelling back to their Vale of Glamorgan HQ after the thrilling 19-13 triumph over Brian O’Driscoll’s Ireland at the Millennium Stadium the previous Saturday.

The incident spilt over once the team bus arrived at the Vale and Gatland decided he was compelled to take disciplinary action.

Wales attempted to keep the matter under wraps, but news of the confrontation leaked out moments before the Six Nations finale with France.

Edwards worked with the players in the early build-up to that game, but was sent away from the camp in the middle of the week.

Sports scientist Connolly looks after the well-being of the players.

He helps sort out their hydration levels and conducts regular medical checks to ensure they are at the top of their game. Like Edwards, Connolly was suspended for the game against France.

The two men are said to have put the matter behind them, though, and will be back in harness as key members of Gatland’s back-room team when Wales next play against the Barbarians in Cardiff on June 4.

News of the Edwards bust-up, coupled with the manner of the defeat to the French, soured the end of a Six Nations campaign which had previously looked so promising.

But Gatland believes that taking action against his own number two will spell out a firm message to the players that poor behaviour will not be tolerated in the build-up to the autumn’s World Cup.

Edwards himself declined to comment yesterday. Gatland vowed Wales would bounce back from their Paris woe, saying: “We need to work on our ability to keep hold of the ball for decent periods.”