Shaun Edwards thankful he took mum's advice

Shaun Edwards today paid tribute to the support of his mother, who always believed one of rugby league's greatest players would become a successful rugby union coach.

In 2001, after a glittering career in league, chiefly with Wigan, Edwards switched codes to join the back-room staff at London Wasps, where he is now head coach.

"I always studied rugby and wrote things down and my mother is a very smart lady and always said it was important I also looked at union while I was playing at Wigan," he said. "I was a student of rugby and she told me to study both because she always felt I'd become a rugby union coach one day."

The part-time Wales defence coach turns 45 on Monday, when he will be preparing his side for the World Cup Final six days later, providing they overcome France in Auckland on Saturday. Les Bleus have won the last three meetings between the teams and Edwards is urging his players to raise their game, despite impressing in a 22-10 victory over Ireland last weekend.

"Our young players don't have a history of past defeats and that is the biggest advantage," he said.

"They're not going into the semi-final thinking, 'We've lost to them three times.' Half of our boys were still at school three years ago. They're excited because we're on the big stage rather than the plane travelling home.

"We've tried to improve every game and we believe we can up the intensity and be more accurate because this is a semi-final.

"A problem in past games is that we've harmed ourselves giving them interception tries or charge downs. We have to make sure France earn the points against us and that will be a focus for us going into this game - we don't want to hurt ourselves.

"How good this Welsh team are will be decided over the next two games - one big one and, hopefully, an even bigger one."

France today named the same starting XV that beat England.