Warren Gatland has told Shaun Edwards to get on with it and make up his mind about whether or not he is staying with Wales.

The Wales head coach fears the continuing debate over whether his assistant will sign a new deal with the Welsh Rugby Union could become a distraction in the build up to the World Cup in Japan.

Gatland has said he is “sick of reading” about the speculation surrounding Edwards’ post-World Cup coaching future.

Edwards, who has been part of Wales’s management team since Gatland became head coach at the end of 2007, was expected to return to Wigan where he made his name as a rugby league player.

But Wigan dithered for months over presenting their most decorated player with a formal contact and he eventually decided not to go ahead with the offer.

Edwards’ prowess had been proved again during the Six Nations – as Wales won the Grand Slam with the best defensive record – and that prompted WRU officials to re-examine a way of keeping him on board.

The sticking point was that Gatland’s successor, Wayne Pivac, had already chosen Byron Hayward as his defence coach – leaving the three sides to cobble together an arrangement where both men could work for Pivac with different roles.

The sticking point for Edwards has been a two-year break clause in his four year contract offer – even though Pivac and the other coaches have accepted those terms.

As talks reached an impasse, France have moved in after appointing Raphaël Ibañez, who played for Wasps under Edwards, as manager from the end of the year. A four-year deal has reportedly been offered.

“I have had one conversation with Shaun about what he was doing and it was pretty brief,” said Gatland after announcing a 42-strong squad that will next month start preparing for the World Cup.

“He said he was not quite sure. Ideally you would like the decision to be made pretty quickly, whether that means he stays in Wales, goes to France or moves to England, wherever.

“It’s more of an issue for the Welsh Rugby Union, Wayne and Shaun to deal with but, if it goes on much longer, I think it would become a distraction. I am sick of reading about it in the newspapers every day.

“If it does go on, I will be having words with people to get it sorted out because there has been enough speculation. Someone needs to make a decision.

“It is not up to the WRU, who have made an offer in good faith, but Shaun. If the union gives him a time limit which elapses without Shaun agreeing, it would look bad for it because he could say the contract was pulled from under him. It’s a waiting game, not something I would put up with.”

Gatland named two uncapped players, the wing Owen Lane and the prop Rhys Carre, in his squad, which will have training camps in Switzerland, for the altitude, and Turkey, for the heat, in July and August.

The 21-year old Carre, who weighs more than 20st and is 6ft 3ins, is joining Saracens from Cardiff Blues in the summer on a two-year contract.

As long he is on the Premiership champions’ payroll before Wales play the first of their World Cup warm-ups in August, he will not be snared by the rule that makes players who have won fewer than 60 caps and are based outside Wales ineligible for selection.