Edwards plays down Rover row

WELSH coach Shaun Edwards, pictured, has been accused of changing the lines in an Irish trad song in the build-up to allegedly headbutting an Irish sports scientist.

Monaghan’s Fergus Connolly is part of the Wales backroom team and, after beating Ireland, was the subject of banter on the team bus. He responded by singing a duet of the Wild Rover with manager Warren Gatland.

Edwards sang his own version of the folk song replacing ‘I’ve been the wild rover for many a year’ with ‘I’ve been a wife beater for many a year’.

Connolly took objection and, at the Vale resort in Glamorgan, said he was headbutted.

“Fergus got the wrong end of the stick with a song which was totally a bit of fun with the lads,” said Edwards. “He approached me afterwards, clearly annoyed and there was no altercation. Our heads may have touched because we were standing so close to each other but I definitely did not headbutt him.”