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Eddie Jones? At it again! I could hear collective eyes rolling back in people’s heads at Eddie Jones’ latest stream of consciousness pronouncements in a RuggMatrix interview yesterday; my own amongst them.
Firstly, I am a big fan of Djuro Sen and Mark Cashman’s podcast. Their commitment to long form discussions and interviews is something lacking in modern rugby reporting, and enables a level of analysis and discussion we don’t see enough (no, the Rugby Club on Foxtel doesn’t count).
The fact the regular media recycles their material for its own articles, rather than doing this type of thing themselves, is somewhat damning.
Secondly, I haven’t actually heard the Jones interview yet. I checked for a download last night and it wasn’t there, and I have a job that doesn’t pay me to listen to or talk about rugby this lunch time while typing this, so I am relying on the usual SMH rehash.
However, my main issue is, when will Eddie be quiet, and why does he get so much airplay?!?!
Having never met Eddie, his repeated comments in the media have only created the impression he can be a pretty grouchy bloke. The stream of negative comments emanating from his mouth over the years seems never ending, and he no longer has the excuse that he’s playing media teases with Sir Clive to advertise the next game.
I don’t know if it’s a carry over from Dwyer picking Kearnsie ahead of him onto the Wallabies from Randwick, but turn that frown upside down Eddie!
It does nothing for the sport, and hardly endears him to his fellow members of the rugby community. The message seems to be that Eddie doesn’t like anything, ever, anywhere.
ELVs? Don’t like ’em. Current Super 14? Not impressed. Waratahs play? Don’t know what they’re doing. Japan in Super 14? No point.
We’ve found the Grinch that stole Christmas, and he’s coaching Suntory!
The occasional glimmer of praise in there verges on the stating the bleeding obvious. O’Connor talented? Brumbies will do better with Giteau and O’Connor? Stop the presses!!!!
Now of course Jones isn’t the only Horseman of the Rugby Apocalypse spreading good cheer wherever he rests his weary lips. But Eddie seems to want to out Grinch everyone else every time he opens his mouth.
The criticisms of the Stellenbosch group that drafted the ELVs was completely unwarranted. Making comments about old coaches sipping wine while drafting them completely derides what was a genuine effort to improve the game by a wide range of very respected rugby persons (including Eddie’s predecessor at the Brumbies and Wallabies, Rod MacQueen – there’s gratitude for you).
Old coaches having a whine is more appropriately applied to Eddie himself I’d suggest.
A number of players and people have said Eddie was and is one of the best technical coaches they have ever worked under. That may be true, but I and a lot of Wallabies fans thought the Eddie Jones years as coach of the Wallabies were some of the most uninspiring and exasperating years of watching the Wallabies.
Apparently being a former coach of the Wallabies and a great “technical” coach means any utterance is treated by the mainstream media as pearls of wisdom dripping from your lips.
Sorry, but no. What Eddie had to say added little if anything to the various issues dealt with, and this type of dirge doesn’t need to be repeated by the rugby media. But it will be, because whinges, gripes and carry on plays to stereotypes sell more papers and air time than a proper discussion about the sport and the issues it faces.
When someone has something worthwhile to say, it should get attention and be repeated. Eddie’s latest rave does not fall into this category, and it’s not the first time.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.