Welsh rugby legend Tom Shanklin has revealed the extent to which Shaun Edwards would educate him and his team-mates in the dark arts.

And his methods were even enough to make Warren Gatland insist to his players they forget what they were taught. Edwards won four Six Nations titles and three Grand Slams during his 11-year spell as Wales' defence coach.

And the 58-year-old – whose highly sought-after skills have been benefiting France's national team since 2020 – wasn't always orthodox in how he went about his work. The rugby league great was accustomed to a certain level of aggression – particularly around the contact area – but former boss Gatland had to intervene when he spotted his No.2 teaching one especially brutal tactic.

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“He did five minutes with the backs on how to carry more aggressively into contact," he said on the latest 'Stick to Rugby' podcast. "He was showing us, ‘ball under there, elbow like that [sticks elbow pointing out], elbow like that [laughing]'.

“So we’re doing it against tackle shields, and after about five minutes, Warren Gatland comes over and says, ‘Shaun, you can’t do that. It’s illegal'. And he’s just like, ‘alright fine, forget that [room erupts].'”

The Stick to Rugby cast were generally glowing about the work of Edwards, who has refined his reputation as arguably the best defence coach in the world. It was largely thanks to his input that France ended their 12-year search for a Six Nations title in 2022, also winning a Grand Slam that same year.

Edwards also showed his merits as head coach of Wasps between 2005 and 2011, clinching two Heineken Cups and four Premiership titles during that spell. So while his ways may appear wild to some, it's evident they work to good effect.

That was evident when Les Bleus humbled Wales 38-0 in the opening match of this year's Six Nations last Friday. France stomped to a shut-out victory over Edwards' old team in a match that was perhaps even more one-sided than most would have expected.

France face a much more difficult test of their credentials on Saturday when they travel to Twickenham. Les Bleus mauled their way to a dominant 53-10 in their last trip to face England in 2023, which is the most France have ever scored at Headquarters.

Needless to say Edwards will have Fabien Galthie's men pulling out every trick required to get a repeat of that result. France are on the verge of sealing four straight wins over England for the first time since 1998, with their defensive mentor targeting yet another Grand Slam.