Shaun Edwards returns to the Principality Stadium today for Wales' clash with France, but this time the former Wales defence coach is in the blue colours of the opposition ranks.

The rugby league legend enjoyed unbridled success in the last 12 years helping Warren Gatland mastermind a golden period of Welsh rugby as the New Zealander's minister for defence.

But he left alongside Gatland for pastures new after helping 2019 Six Nations champions Wales get all the way to the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup in Japan.

The former Wigan Warrior has signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with Les Bleus and enjoyed a dream start to the new job after France pulled off a 24-17 win over England in the opening round of the Six Nations. A 35-22 win over Italy followed in the second round.

Now, in the third round, Wales host France at the Principality Stadium, with the visitors looking to keep their Grand Slam hopes alive and end a barren run at the Principality Stadium stretching back 10 years.

But, out of respect for his former colleagues, Edwards insists he will be restraining himself if France pull off a win.

“It goes beyond a game of rugby for me because of the welcome I had in Wales and the kindness of the Welsh people to me over the years. It will go with me to the grave,” the 53-year-old told WalesOnline this month.

“Rugby and the result is important but friendships more so. Should France win I wouldn’t celebrate out of the utmost respect I have for the Welsh public, the lads I coached who are very good friends and former colleagues who are still working in the Wales set-up." You can read the full interview here.

Edwards' deal to join Fabien Galthie's France backroom staff was confirmed in November 2019.

He was part of a Wales coaching team that won four Six Nations titles and three Grand Slams, also making it to two World Cup semi-finals.

Edwards is the most experienced member of Galthie's staff, which includes Laurent Labit, William Servat, Karim Ghezal, Thibault Giroud and Nicolas Buffa and will link up with team manager Raphael Ibanez with the duo being friends from their day with Wasps.

"I obviously didn't have a load of offers at first because everybody thought I was going to Wigan," Edwards previously told the BBC.

France head coach Fabien Galthie in talks with Shaun Edwards

"For a while, I had no job on the horizon. But the last Six Nations went well for us all [Wales won the Grand Slam] and I got offered a few jobs after that."

And on life in France he added: "I give some orders in French, but if it ends up being too long of a conversation, I have William Servat to come and help me.

"But even in English, I only say three or four words on the bounce because when you stop and talk too much... it's not what we do."