Rugby: England call in defence guru Shaun Edwards ahead of Black Ferns clash

England have called in defence maestro Shaun Edwards ahead of the WXV Global Series clash with the Black Ferns this weekend.

Edwards has taken up a short-term coaching consultancy role with the Red Roses under their New Zealand coach John Mitchell.

The 59-year-old is set to work with current Red Roses defence coach Sarah Hunter for the rest of their WXV Global Series matches.

The decision comes after England's 39-Test winning streak ended with a 26-26 draw against Canada last weekend.

Edwards is a former rugby league player and coach and has been involved in rugby union since 2001. He spent twelve years as Wales' defence coach, winning four Six Nations titles before switching to France in 2020 helping them to three Six Nations titles.

"Shaun and I have competed against each other in the international coaching arena for a very long time and I am very respectful of what he has delivered," Mitchell said in a statement.

"Since his time with France ended, we have had a conversation about our game, and he expressed an interest in working in an international women's setup for the first time.

"He has a huge amount of respect for the Red Roses and what we stand for. He sees it as a privilege to join our environment," Mitchell said.

The Black Ferns are unbeaten on their northern tour with wins over France and Scotland.

The England-New Zealand WXV Global Series clash is at Twickenham at 3am New Zealand time on Sunday.