Coaches the secret of Wales' victory: Reddan

Eoin Reddan was convinced Wales could win the Grand Slam as soon as the best coaching team in the RBS 6 Nations had been assembled.

Welsh aspirations of emulating their 2005 clean sweep appear far more credible following their convincing 16-12 victory over Ireland at Croke Park yesterday.

Suggestions that Wales’ progress through the championship was an illusion were exposed as they swept to the brink of the Six Nations title.

It is a magnificent achievement that Reddan insists is rooted in the appointment of new coach Warren Gatland and his assistants Shaun Edwards and Rob Howley.

The trio have played key roles in Wasps’ success in recent years – and Reddan, who joined the European champions in 2005, has worked closely with Edwards.

Wales have been transformed since crashing out of a poor World Cup, and Reddan is unsurprised the coaching line-up has produced such rapid results.

“I’ve been impressed with Wales since the start of the Six Nations,” he said.

“I was expecting them to do very well, because of the coaching team they’d lined up.

“I’ve never been coached by Warren but I’ve heard very good things from the guys at Wasps about him.

“They rate him very highly, and he’s obviously had a massive effect on Wales in the short space of time he has been there.

“Of course, I know Shaun well. I work closely with him at Wasps, and he seems to have made Wales more aggressive and has tightened up in defence.

“I was expecting to meet a very well-organised group of players in attack and defence yesterday, and that’s exactly what Wales are.

“When a team has coaches of their calibre it’s not difficult to understand why the team is doing so well.”

While Gatland is busy enhancing his reputation yet further, his opposite number with Ireland is once again in an awkward spot.

It was a poor display in a thoroughly one-sided match, whatever the scoreline suggests, and Eddie O’Sullivan is facing fresh calls for his removal.

Ireland’s Six Nations finale against England on Saturday has become an inglorious battle for third place, and a ’face-off’ between two under-fire coaches.

The task facing O’Sullivan now is to rally his troops as their championship limps to a deflating conclusion, but Reddan insists the Irish do not need picking up as they target a third successive victory at Twickenham.

“We’re professional rugby players. This defeat is hard to take, but we have to move on and think about England. It’s a big game,” he said.

“We need to move on, and that’s a fact of life – or else next week we will not be good enough.

“It’s hard to take any ’positives’ from this and it’s a challenge because you need to be in the right frame of mind for England.

“But we’re internationals playing in an Ireland shirt, so it won’t be hard to pick ourselves up.”

Other than Rob Kearney’s assured debut at full-back and Ronan O’Gara’s composure at fly-half, Ireland could take little comfort from their afternoon’s work.

Leinster winger Shane Horgan created their best chance but failed to finish it, while a poor tackle from Andrew Trimble led to Shane Williams’ decisive try.

To compound a miserable day, Brian O’Driscoll sustained a hamstring tear and faces a spell on the sidelines – although his patchy form raises doubt over how much he will be missed.

As Ireland lurch onwards under a coach who is struggling to inspire his team, Wales continue their march to a Grand Slam.

Only France can stop them now – and while Welsh momentum may seem unstoppable, Reddan believes Les Bleus are very capable of ambushing their celebrations in Cardiff next Saturday.

“Wales were in good form before they faced us, and they produced the goods once again,” he said.

“Wales were the better team on the day. It’s about finishing their chances, and that’s what they did against us.

“France are a different side every week at the moment, so it’s hard to predict what will happen next Saturday.

“Each week they pick six or seven new players, and it’s hard to know which team they will take to Cardiff.

“But they have some very good finishers, and Wales will have to be on their guard.

“Wales kick long to keep the ball in play and you have to do that very well against France, or else they’ll punish you.”