A devout Roman Catholic, Edwards prayed before each game, and his coaching technique is based on: “One of the greatest sayings that I have heard was that you have to be prepared to suffer. I think it’s the same with any walk of life. Nothing comes easily. No pain, no gain, and that is certainly the case in rugby. If you’re not prepared to put in the hard work, to go through the pain and suffering, both mental and physical, you probably won’t make it. Jesus suffered on the cross in his life and that’s a reality that inspired and helped me in the good times and the bad.”