Shaun Edwards backs Andy Powell to shine
Wales and London Wasps back row coach Shaun Edwards says that Andy Powell has the ability to dominate the Premiership next season with the Wasps.
Powell made the move to Wasps from Cardiff where he formed a reputation as being one of the best defensive players in the entire Magners League. He has signed a one-year deal for Wasps and Edwards seems to think it will be a few games before the club ask him to sign on for longer.
Edwards and Powell have worked together before in the Welsh national team. It seems that Powell wants to re-ignite his international career and Edwards says he's done the right thing by joining a new club.
Powell will have to settle in at Wasps very quickly and make an impression during the first few games of the season. There are many things he has to do during pre-season to give himself the best chance of doing well. He has to remember that right now it's club before country.
The pre-season campaign
Powell missed a few games towards the end of last season because of niggling injuries. This may mean that he is a little bit behind the rest of the squad in terms of fitness for the new Premiership campaign.
He cannot be recognised for a recall to the Wales team if he is not playing regularly for Wasps. The only way for him to do this is to prove that he is as fit as he possibly can be during pre-season training sessions and games.
He will also have to deal with a great amount of pressure at Wasps because the Premiership is viewed as a tougher league than the Magners league. This standard of play will be higher, faster and more intense and he must use pre-season to get to a good level where he will not look out of place in the team.
Edwards said: "If he can keep injury-free, then if there is any club where he will shine at it’s Wasps, where we treat our players as individuals. We don’t try to make them conform and be exactly the same, although we have to implement some rules like turning up on time and wearing the right gear."
Club before country
Powell must remember to do all of the basic things right at his new club. If he starts getting a little ahead of himself and looks towards a Wales recall then he risks alienating a few people at the club.
There are many players in the playing squad that have not enjoyed an international career and all of the virtues that it can bring. These players will play their hearts out for Wasps and will not want to see Powell taking the club for granted.
Edwards added: "I am hoping Andy will flourish in this kind of environment, plus he has that something extra about his play – that X-factor – to complement the guys who are toiling away hitting 100 rucks a match. As a result, he can create something out of nothing. We tell a player that when he joins this club the slate is wiped clean and it all starts again."
Betting advice
Wasps lack a little bit of quality that would mean they are pushing for the Premiership title by the end of the season. Powell can get forward and score the odd try but he is mainly used as a defensive player. The best option is to go match by match because this will let you see how he is playing and you can cash in on any good form.
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