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Edwards supports return of Exiles
ESPN Staff
October 17, 2014

Shaun Edwards believes Wales players exiled in France would be welcomed back to the country. The Wales defence coach has also complained about the fitness of French-based players and argued that their return would benefit the national team as they could control the players and monitor fitness levels more closely.

"When players go to France, there's not many of them who come back better players," Edwards told the BBC. "From a Welsh point of view I would definitely say the fitness levels when they come back to the Welsh team after being in France are probably not what we expected them to be to.

"You've got control over the conditioning and you've got control over the games they play."

Speculation has been rife that Mike Phillips, Dan Lydiate and Jamie Roberts are set to leave Racing Metro after their coach Laurent Labit was quoted in L'Equipe as saying they "never really performed since their arrival". Phillips and Roberts have both dismissed the claims but ESPN understands Lydiate's deal to return to Wales is nearing completion.

If any of the trio were to return to a Welsh region, it could be on one of the new dual-contracts created in August by the new Rugby Services Agreement signed by the four regions and the WRU. As things stand, only Blues' Sam Warburton has signed such a deal.

Racing Metro host Northampton on Saturday in the Champions Cup and if any of the players take part in the game they will be ineligible to appear for another team in the competition this year.

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