Former Wallaby boss Jones slams ‘crazy’ England
By AFP, 3 Dec 2008 AFP is a Roar Pro
Former Australia coach Eddie Jones has blasted English rugby’s “crazy” set-up, saying the national side faces “problems across the board” after a trio of heavy losses to the Tri-Nations.
England, under new manager Martin Johnson, were beaten on successive weekends at Twickenham last month.
Australia started things off with a 28-14 victory before world champions South Africa won 42-6 to inflict England’s heaviest home defeat.
New Zealand then piled on the agony with a 32-6 success last weekend.
In those three games England conceded 102 points and only scored 26, while letting in nine tries and managing just one in reply.
Jones, now the director of rugby at English Premiership side Saracens, slammed the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for a lack of player development since an England side captained by Johnson beat the Australia team he coached in the 2003 World Cup final.
“The problems are across the board,” Jones said.
“England haven’t got a coherent understanding of how to attack and their defence is poor.
“They have conceded 100 points in three games – you won’t do anything in Test rugby if you concede 100 points.
“I think Martin has to decide whether he wants to be the head coach.
“If he is the manager, then who is the head coach? Someone has to take responsibility for coaching the team.”
England half-backs Danny Care and Danny Cipriani came into the November series with just two starts between them and during the course of a month which also saw the Pacific Islanders at Twickenham, six players made Test debuts.
“It is crazy. You have to ask the question – what elite development is going on in England rugby?,” Jones said.
“Look at the England side now compared to 2004 and there has basically been no development.
“You have experienced players and inexperienced players and nothing in between.”
Former England outside-half Rob Andrew was appointed as the RFU’s director of elite rugby two years ago, with player development a key responsibility.
And Jones was in no doubt about what action he should take to bring on youthful talent.
“If I was Rob Andrew the first thing I would be doing would be to invest in a second tier competition so that all your best young players have regular rugby.
“Young players can lift and run as fast as you want – but they have to play games.”
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sledgeandhammer said | December 3rd 2008 @ 5:06pm | Report comment
Eddy Jones says “Young players can lift and run as fast as you want – but they have to play games.” Was this the same guy that had so many training camps he almost killed Australian rugby? I remember Stirling Mortlock making the point before the 2003 RWC that the players would much prefer to play for their clubs than be stuck up in Coffs. Anyway, I’ll give Eddy the benefit of the doubt and assume he has learnt from experience.
Spiro Zavos said | December 3rd 2008 @ 5:12pm | Report comment
The intriquing thing about Eddie Jones is that what he says is often very accurate and interesting, as his comments on what the RFU has to do indicate, but what he does as a coach is more often plain daft.
Ian Noble said | December 4th 2008 @ 12:27am | Report comment
Spiro
As Eddie Jones in your eyes is often very accurate and interesting, you might find this quote interesting refering to the ELVs
“Better does not necessarily mean more entertaining. If you want entertainment you play Twenty20 cricket,” he said.
“That has to be the judgment. These changes have been made with a view to entertainment, not to improving rugby.”
What he says about the game in England I would agree with in the main, although he is guilty in not bringing through English players at Saracens. As Dean Richards very pointedly stated he should do what he preaches. Quins in the last game v Bath had 10 English players in the first XV, Bath had 9, Quins winning with Jordan-Hall last years U20 centre scoring a crucial try. Saracens had only 3 English players in their first XV in their last game, with a number of English young players being excluded. Earlier in the week I watched Quins A v Bristol A and Quins had 10 English players under 20 in the first XV which incidentially they won handsomelty by 36-7 against a Bristol side full of experience including seasoned intenational players in Maggs and Blowers.
This seasons AI has been a big wake up call for the English set up and it’s shortcomings, and there will be changes I am sure but unfortunately as the Professional Game Board is in it’s infancy it will take time.
Rowdy said | December 4th 2008 @ 1:46am | Report comment
Ian, re: these AIs being a wake-up call for the RFU – there have been so many wake-up calls over the past 5 years, I think they’re just hitting snooze and rolling over every time, and I don’t expect anything different this time around. There will be umpteen reviews, reports and meetings, and come the 6N, Borthwick, Noon, Vickery, Ford, Wells and Andrew will still be there.
Ian Noble said | December 4th 2008 @ 2:16am | Report comment
Rowdy
They probably will remain as in the main it is Johnson’s call. Rob Andrew is another matter as he was instrumental in bringing Johnson into the fold, if Johnson fails then presumably he will go as well.
In Andrews favour he has been very instrumental in driving through the new club/country agreement and reorganising the new elite programme from the academy structure throughout England to the national team. He has brought on board some better quality coaches at the lower levels and perhaps it will be interesting to see improvement of England in the U20WC in Japan and the IRB 7s series. The England 7 who lost in the final v SA in Dubai is made up of mainly ND1 players, which possibly illustrates an increasing depth of players.
The PGB is important as there will be teething problems with say the club/country agreement, but as there is an increasing feeling that England should not be ridiculed on the International front they have to get it right. Will they, who knows but there are some very powerful personalities on that board and it is in their interest to support a strong succesful England side as it will reinforce the present growth of the professional game in England.
Colin N said | December 4th 2008 @ 6:03am | Report comment
“The England 7 who lost in the final v SA in Dubai is made up of mainly ND1 players, which possibly illustrates an increasing depth of players.”
Including two Fijians, one which plays for the Exeter Chiefs and apparently the other who is going to Wasps. Anyway I thought I might make that point and show the increasing multicultural society in the UK, and more specifically England (or the increasing amount of foreign players that are becoming eligible for England) *cough*.
I’m English but this is getting ridiculous.
However, as has been pointed out for some time, there is a lot of talent in England, expect maybe for a couple of areas, mainly front-row and lock. Sheridan, for me, is very overrated (and I’m a Sale fan), but there is virtually no international class back-up for him. Looking to the U-20′s, there are some very talented front-rowers in Corbisiero and Nathan Catt. But it’s going to take them a while to develop. I must also mention the Sale academy, which seems to be producing some good youngsters in Briggs (a very good hooker, who has played at seven in the last two games and dominated Moody and co at the breakdown), Will Cliff (scrum-half), Sean Cox (Lock) and the list goes on etc. Actually, if Cox can return to the form he had before he got injured, when he comes back, I genuinely believe he is the answer to England’s lock problem.
Also Sale had four players represented in the U-18 squad last year, with others in the U-18 AER squad (or something like that). However, one of them chose to move to the Saracens academy. One of them, James Gaskell has already played premiership rugby, admittedly during the internationals, but even so is on the fringes of the first team squad.
Regarding the GP system in general and the foreigners debate, I think it was Chris Latham stated recently that there is no perfect system, including the super 14 and New Zealand’s NPC etc.
If you look at it this way, where did the 2000-03 team come from. Was it a group of world-class players who were fortunate to play together at the same time, or was it other reasons? Because the statistic show that the number of English qualified players in the GP has dropped by only 2% in the last 10 years.
I personally feel that the coaching is the problem with England. I’m not a big fan of Ford and Wells as they don’t seem open to new ideas or even suggestions. They seem to want to do it their way with no compromises. Generally, I think most Northern Hemisphere coaches are inept, apart from the select few.
craig B said | December 4th 2008 @ 12:07pm | Report comment
Eddie Jones accuses England about not developing players… The same man you continually stuck by Wallabies who were not performing and we ended up with situation not that different from england currently…. I feel a pot and kettle proverb coming on…..
True Tah said | December 4th 2008 @ 12:21pm | Report comment
Why the hell would people listen to Steady Eddie – the bloke seems to be getting gigs everywhere, whether its consulting the IRB, South African rugby and Saracens, despite his awful track record…look no further than 2007, and what happened to the Reds.
Maybe we should call Eddie Jones Lazarus, he just seems to keep coming back.
Ian – how are Saracens faring in the Guinness Premiership?
ohtani's jacket said | December 4th 2008 @ 12:29pm | Report comment
Funnily enough, Eddie is immensely respected in Japan with his ties to Suntory and Waseda rugby. Not to mention his obvious connections to Japan.
Ian Noble said | December 6th 2008 @ 3:19am | Report comment
TT
Saracens are 7th in the GP. The top of the table is congested with 3 points separating the top 6 clubs will make an interesting period after the next round of HC matches. Incidently my team Quins play Leicester at Twickenham in the “big Game”. 30000 tickets have already been for the game on 27/12, day after the traditional Boxing Day football games. They hope to sell up to 50000, the size is limited because of police control. This weekend they play Stade Francais in the Stade de France who have sold 70000 tickets, unforunately I can’t make it to Paris but it should be quite an occassion and hopefully Quins young team will win.