Warren Gatland has sprung a shock by appointing Sale Sharks assistant Mike Forshaw as his new defence coach.
The 53-year-old has been appointed ahead of Steve Tandy and Paul Gustard who were also in the running to join Gatland's backroom team.
Gatland will be hoping the northerner will be as successful as his predecessor in the job, Shaun Edwards.
READ MORE: Wales announce Mike Forshaw as defence coach as Warren Gatland makes shock appointment
WalesOnline take an in-depth look at Forshaw's background and why he is the right man to help shore up Wales' defence.
Playing career
Forshaw is one of many former high-profile rugby league players to excel as a coach in the 15-man game.
Like former Wales defence coach Edwards, Forshaw comes from Wigan with both men having come through the same schools system.
He enjoyed a distinguished playing career representing Wigan Warriors, Wakefield Trinity and Leeds Rhinos while he also enjoyed a short stint in rugby union with Saracens.
Forshaw returned to league with Bradford Bulls before finishing his playing career with Warrington Wolves. He played a number of positions including scrum-half, hooker, second-row and loose forward.
As an industrious loose forward for Bradford Bulls he played a starring role in three Super League winning campaigns while he also lifted the Challenge Cup three times.
Undoubtedly the highlight of his career came when he represented Great Britain, winning 14 caps, while he also got selected for England on three occasions.
Coaching career
Perhaps unsurprisingly Forshaw began his coaching career in the 13-man code immediately after hanging up his boots back in 2004.
He was initially a strength and conditioning coach at Warrington Wolves while also taking up a high performance role at the Rugby Football League. Forshaw then moved back to Bradford where he worked under Brian Noble as his defence coach.
Ironically, he was offered a route into union by Cardiff boss Dai Young who wanted him to coach tackling technique for two days a week but instead he joined Connacht's backroom team in 2010.
Forshaw then joined Sale Sharks in 2013, initially working under Steve Diamond, transforming them into one of the best defensive units in the English game.
Coaching philosophy
Forshaw is cut from the same cloth as Edwards who also trod the path from league to union.
Edwards, who is now in charge of France's defence, has a similar coaching philosophy to Forshaw. Both men demand the highest of standards from their players.
Forshaw will want to turn Wales into an extremely difficult team to beat with their defence becoming a weapon as it was under Edwards' tutelage.
“For me, it’s all three key words: disciplines, decisions and detail in the contact area," said Forshaw in an interview with Manchester Evening News back in 2013. “It’s about discipline and decision-making and I want us to have belief in our philosophy in the contact area.
“It’s all three key words, disciplines, decisions and detail in the contact area. I want us to become tradesmen in that area.
“After all, if you get a joiner in and he does a poor job, you won’t employ him again. You want someone whose detail and discipline is good and who you don’t have to ring up a fortnight later if your door is hanging off and it’s the same with rugby."
What they say about him?
Sale Sharks head coach Alex Sanderson
“When I was at Saracens we had a real rivalry because we were defence coaches of different organisations. What was very apparent over two or three years was that he was better than me.
“As a rival coach I’d try and unpick some of the secrets and the systems that made Sale so good. But then when I was lucky enough to step into this role at this club, I realised within a matter of hours that it wasn’t down to systems or secrets, it was down to the man. It was down to Forsh.
“He is such a special character, his character is so unique and he has an incredible ability to inspire. He’s like Peter Pan, with his self-proclaimed Robert Redford looks and he brings so much levity to every week, win or lose.
“There’s so much I’m going to miss about Forsh. I genuinely didn’t think that the trust and the atmosphere that we had in my previous role could be matched but I was very wrong. This coaching group is really, really special and Forsh has been at the epicentre of that.
“This is very bittersweet for us because although we’re going to miss him, it shows that we’re getting it right here. This comes with the territory. As much as it hurts, we all wish Forsh all the best with what is a really exciting role.”
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