Joe Edwards (31 years old) is one of these few irreplaceable players at RC Vannes. Like his third line partner (and captain) Francisco Gorrissen, like the hinge Michael Ruru-Maxime Lafage, or even the pillar Mako Vunipola, they are also essential for this first season in the Top 14. “Jo, he’s a big tackler , underlines his trainer Jean-Noël Spitzer. He is the one who hits the hardest in defense, who tackles while advancing. I consider him an essential player. Last season, I don’t remember us losing a single big home game with him. »
Essential and versatile
This is good, Joe Edwards played again last week at the end of the match in Pau (48-24, 13th day), two months after an ankle injury. The New Zealander should be able to take on the physical challenge announced with the arrival of Clermont, one of the most powerful teams in the championship. Like Bayonne, which crushed the Vannes forwards and prevented the Bretons from deploying their game a fortnight ago at La Rabine (21-27, 12th day). The team was able to do without Edwards to achieve a feat in La Rochelle (14-23, 11th day) or win its first victory in the European Cup against Gloucester (42-19, 2nd day).
The tall flanker (1.94 m) is not one of the most used players since the start of the season (seven matches for 397 minutes played). A consequence of his injury, but also of his versatility. Capable of also playing in the second line, Edwards came off the bench three times which constitutes the big weak point of RC Vannes, in great difficulty maintaining the intensity demanded by the Top 14 over 80 minutes.
Leader “on the field more than off”
The New Zealander, who arrived in France in 2016 and in Vannes in 2020, from Aix-en-Provence (Pro D2), took advantage of his convalescence to return to the country to see his two children, who live with their mother, and “recharge the batteries”. “I found the group several weeks ago, with the same spirit and the same ambition,” says Edwards. We feel the urgency to react after our last two matches. There is frustration at not having repeated the performances of Gloucester and La Rochelle, where we were very realistic in the scoring areas. We only did it for twenty minutes in Pau. We must respect our game plan against Clermont. We have to stop the bleeding by starting again with simple things, which have already worked this season.”
General Edwards speaks little in the locker room, even if he speaks French perfectly today. “He is a leader, on the field more than off. He’s not a big talker during the week. He is always very focused on his performances,” says Spitzer. But he returned at the right time to reassemble his troops, in a decisive month of January in the quest to maintain. “I love this club and the values we have shown for several seasons, and I would not like to end up with a bad taste in my mouth. »
Morocco
