Andy Edwards, the Springboks’ head of athletic performance, believes the men in green and gold are peaking at the right time and will be primed to defend their World Cup title in France — a feat that has only been achieved by the All Blacks in 2015.
Edwards, who had a distinguished 15-year managerial career with Saracens in the English Premiership that culminated in him overseeing the strength and conditioning programme, took over the role at the Springboks in 2020, after Aled Walters departed following their 2019 World Cup victory in Japan. Edwards joined the three-time world champions at a tumultuous time during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic but began putting his plans in place.
As soon as he was appointed in August 2020, he set out to align with the strength and conditioning coaches at the various franchises locally and abroad. At the time, everyone was in limbo with the pandemic wreaking havoc, and he says the best thing he could do was reach out and begin the foundations of relationships with the franchises.
“We have had to collaborate the best way possible to maximise player performance,” Edwards tells TimesLIVE Premium from an office at SA Rugby’s headquarters in Plattekloof, Cape Town, where a picture of the 2004 Tri-Nations-winning Springbok team adorns the wall behind him.
“For me to understand what has happened and continues to happen at the franchises is really important to get a holistic approach in terms of where the players are going and how we can keep getting better and evolving.”
Edwards worked at North London-based Saracens, where there were a number of South Africans. That meant his transition into life in South Africa and the Springbok set-up was smoother than it may have been. He said nothing really surprised him other than learning to deal with load-shedding. He describes the coaching team as “really organised” and the players were “magnificent” and welcomed him with open arms.
Strength and conditioning coaches are seen as an extension of the coaching staff in the modern professional era and Edwards has been enthused by the players, who he says have been keen to get as much out of him as possible. In turn, he has felt as though he can give what he can and they have been growing together.
Like Walters, the fact that Edwards hails from the northern hemisphere has aided the South African players, who have transitioned from competing against the southern hemisphere sides at domestic level to playing up north in the United Rugby Championship, and Champions and Challenge Cups. Director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has assembled more of a cosmopolitan management team with Englishman Edwards joined by Irish defence coach Felix Jones. There were reports retired international match official Nigel Owens was set to come on board as a referee consultant, but the Welshman has since declined the offer owing mainly to family reasons — he and his partner Barrie are in the final stages of the adoption process.
Edwards though is full of praise for Erasmus in terms of his innovative thinking and open-mindedness. Edwards regards the cosmopolitan nature of the Bok management as “a positive” and says he “enjoys the outlook and where Erasmus goes with things”. The trainer who fulfilled the strength and conditioning role at Saracens since 2014 says pushing boundaries and exploring different avenues is part of how a system grows.
“Where my role has most evolved, is understanding the holistic approach to how the Springbok coaches are working to maximise team performance. If I wasn’t in sync with the Bok coaches there would be a disconnect.”
As the Springboks, we are comfortable with where we are at and can take confidence from being settled as a group.
— Andy Edwards
In terms of evolution, Edwards stresses the Springboks have advanced as a collective since the 2019 World Cup and agrees with Erasmus they are better prepared now than before the previous showpiece. In the second instalment of fly-on-the-wall SuperSport series Inside the Boks, Erasmus proclaims the Boks are now 70% better prepared owing to more time in the saddle as a team.
“We are now more aligned as a group, and I definitely agree with Rassie that it’s going to hold us in good stead,” says Edwards, who believes the Boks have been galvanised by playing against the British & Irish Lions in a bio-bubble and during the 2021 Rugby Championship staged in Australia. “We have overcome all those challenges as a collective and I believe it should make us more settled going into big tournaments.”
The bookmakers may only have the Springboks as fourth favourites to lift the William Webb Ellis trophy, with France, New Zealand and Ireland getting the shortest odds, but Edwards notes the Boks will have a bullseye on their back as the defending champions. “The group is aware of it; it’s nothing we won’t be able to handle or be unprepared for. It’s about knowing when to push performance and when to pull back a little so you can peak at the right time.”
He said, based on what has transpired in international rugby over the last few years, there are other international teams with title credentials.
“You have got Ireland who are the reigning Grand Slam champions and are ranked No. 1 in the world. Everyone is also talking about France in France and weirdly New Zealand are seen by some as the underdogs,” said Edwards, who lives in Cape Town with his family.
“As the Springboks, we are comfortable with where we are at and can take confidence from being settled as a group. Not settled in a comfortable way but to keep pushing. It’s a healthy group that continues to show they can operate at the highest level and keep performing on the international stage.”
Edwards is reticent to single out individuals as he works with a plethora of talented players, but he marvels at the physicality of reigning SA Rugby Player of the Year Eben Etzebeth. The towering lock has amassed 110 appearances for the Springboks and, if the 31-year-old stays injury-free, is set to surpass Victor Matfield’s record-127 Test caps.
“Eben looks after himself tremendously well, drives standards within the group and has been really consistent in the way he has performed for both club and country over the last few years. If he keeps going and stays healthy, of course he will be up there in terms of gaining more caps and becoming the most-capped player Springbok. But there is a lot more rugby to be played and, knowing him, I’m sure there are much more important things to be focused on this year from a team point of view.”
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