The other day, BBC Radio’s 5 Live rugby show had a few interesting tidbits. Perhaps, of most interest to Australian Roarers, were comments by Eddie Jones.
The show is available, even to international audiences, for a few more days on the BBC’s iPlayer site here.
Here are a few of the points raised, if you haven’t had the time to listen to the whole thing:
(1). He thinks this may be one World Cup too early for Australia. The team is promising but still young and winners usually have a team with more caps under the belt.
He also sees Robinson’s injury as a blow up front.
He’s asked whether Genia and Cooper are the best half-back pairing in the world. He replies that they were the best at Super level, and went well against a weak South Africa, but have yet to dominate at Test level. So, he’s a bit guarded on how they’ll go this year.
When asked who he’d choose between Cooper and Carter, Jones notes that you need to win seven games which demands consistency. He says Cooper could win you a World Cup or lose it for you.
Jones also draws attention to Cooper’s turnovers against South Africa and, since unforced errors will be costly in the tournament, he’d go with Carter.
Jones also says South Africa haven’t advanced as much as they would have liked. He points out that Pienaar and Steyn were young four years ago and should have kicked on by now, but questions whether they have developed the necessary consistency for a Cup.
Jones thinks New Zealand should win the Cup but says they could be exposed at lineout and would suffer if anything happened to Carter.
He also wonders whether the All Blacks are starting to over-complicate things and believes they go better keeping things simple.
(2). Jonah Lomu is on the show and he tips Ireland to do well.
Keith Wood says Ireland have a better spirit about them than four years ago, when they were inexplicably under-cooked.
Paul O’Connell has told him that preparations seem to be going much better than before. Wood, however, thinks Ireland still have a mental hurdle to overcome.
Whereas England seem to prosper in tournament rugby, he has reservations about Ireland’s ability to stay focused for seven games.
Lomu also believes that the challenge for any team at the World Cup is finding a squad of players to keep the momentum going rather than just a team to win a particular match.
(3). Jones thinks England are weak at half back.
He doesn’t believe Ben Youngs is a Test quality scrum half, because he struggles when the ball is slow. He also isn’t convinced by fly half Toby Flood, who he believes suffers the same problems.
He says England’s pack will make them competitive, as they are in most World Cups, but they will not win it.
(4). In response, Matt Dawson suspects Jones is playing mind games again, but former England coach Dick Best thinks he has a point.
Best believes Youngs is Test quality but is still inexperienced. He argues that teams can’t win a World Cup without class half backs and notes New Zealand aren’t blessed at number nine.
He also feels Dan Carter more than makes up for this at 10. Best sees Flood as a decent Test fly half, but not world class while he thinks Youngs will be better by the next World Cup.
(5). There’s also a discussion with James Haskell.
After he was released by Stade Francais, Haskell has since announced plans to play a few months in Japan before signing again with Wasps.
He’s been criticised for appearing to put money ahead of his national team chances but the player says choosing Wasps over another French team shows he wants his England place.
Jones says the top Japanese teams are good enough to compete with England’s second-tier club teams but would struggle against a Premiership side.
While he’s very optimistic about the game in Japan, he doesn’t think the the standard will benefit a top player like Haskell.
Keith Wood says Graham Henry once asked him to play in New Zealand after Sean Fitzpatrick was out with injury. He would have loved to do so but it would have meant missing out on a Five Nations (as it was then) so turned it down.
Dick Best believes professionalism means more players will consider doing what Haskell has done at earlier stages of their career.
Wolle von Lanagrossa
Guest
Very revealing post...
Moaman
Guest
Can any of you that agree with Eddie Jones please explain just how the All Blacks are making it "more complicated" than they need to? I'm facinated.
Moaman
Guest
Hear ,hear was right Jeznez ;-)
Matthew Skellett
Guest
I think that the fact that a lot of the rugby viewing australian public rejoiced and jumped for joy when Mr Jones was finally shown the door by the ARU means that we can safely ignore any comments he makes , there is quite a deal of circumstanciall evidence that he was sabotaging the wallabies performances towards the end of his career(his last tri-nations tour of South Africa comes to mind ), SO Mr Jones I for one like a lot of us are glad you aren't anywhere near any decision making role and we can safely smile and give you a cup of tea in a styrofoam cup on your way out :-)
vaguely
Roar Pro
Stirling is the only one on the commentary team worth listening to; Probably better than any of the so called experts that commentate Rugby. Gus would be ok if you could get him to just talk tactics, instead of going off with his emotional bullsh*t (no, no, no, no, no!) or being an old couple with Rabs. But then again, watch a Parra game and Stirlo isn't very unbiased. ;)
vaguely
Roar Pro
I think he showed with SA he is a great assistant coach. Just no one give him the reins!
Harry
Guest
The steep trajectory that both the Wallabies and the Reds took under Jones as Head Coach bear ample testimony to the effectiveness of his coaching methods and philosophy. Hi views on the game are always thought provoking.
kaha
Guest
As a follow up why don't they get the commentators who did the league world cup final. Stirling and co they give a mostly unbiased call of the game, and it's not because the kiwi's won. Even when the australians win they are basically fair.I know they don't have the load down on rugby rules. But as I said call it fairly and not with one eye. Which rugby commentators usually do. The best commentators where the home union ones during the seventies. They were objective and fair wish we could go back to those days. When I was back in NZ I used to turn down the television and listen to the radio commentator, Wish I could do that here.
Winston
Guest
Eddie's comments seem pretty spot on to me
kaha
Guest
leave the guy alone, he got australia to the world cup final lost by a drop goal. which is better than my beloved all blacks did or have done since 95 .He's talking a lot of sense and not letting emotion get in the way, as team supporters usually do ,myself included.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
Eddie Jones talks a better game than he can ever coach. His comments above seem logical and sensible and I find it hard to criticise them. The difference with Eddie is when he gets his hands on a bunch of players then the madness starts. Regardless of what you think about him, what he did at the Queensland Reds defined him for me. Mind you I already disliked him, now it is just a grinding hatred for what he did to Australian rugby.
Fernando
Guest
hI share some of the findings of EJ, for example ABs they could suffer if anything appened to Carter, no doubt he is at its best, and is the world's top flyhaf, no one better. I do not share the point of view on Ben Youngs, he has shown a lots of talent and a great personality to lead England, certainly lacks experience, but I remember that England's last World Cup was for the slap and ended up playing a final. Finally, if Wilkinson is physically well, should hold over Toby Flood. Fernando - Córdoba - Argentina
Damo
Guest
Yeh, Eddie's comments were ok. Pretty fair prognosis really. No need for everyone to play the man. I hope he's wrong of course. But his comment about Carter is instructive. NZ may want to store him in cotton wool. This may be the cup that is decided by injuries. As we already know itseems we have daylight behind Robinson at loose head. So we are eagerly awaiting his availability. But we may blood a new from row combination? And scrums are about 2nd row as much as Props. So the toughness of Horwill, the eagerness of Simmons, (and the experience of Vicks and Sharpe on the bench) lends confidence to W's scrum intentions. The NZ scrum is obviously very good. How good? We will see in 5 days and 18 hours.
mudskipper
Guest
there pretty fair-minded and truthful comments by Jones. Genia and Cooper haven’t proven to be dominant consistently at international level. Carter has more experience and is more reliable than Cooper. The loss of Robinson is a blow to the Wallabies. And good point about the All Blacks making it more completed and shows a trouble mind… it could unwind their objectives. And you have to agree that the Wallabies are still very young with not a lot of cps so 2015 may be their best chance for this generation. However I'm sure Eddie is backing the Wallabies...
jeznez
Guest
hear, hear - or is it here, here? Regardless, spot on.
sixo_clock
Roar Guru
Agree with TF, CBA, J and VC. Eddie Jones is irrelevant to Rugby, in particular Oz Rugby. He is a remarkable example of how someone can turn success into failure. He is only given any credence by the reptiles of the press who thrive in the negative underworld and by those who lack the judgement to see him as such and think by some arcane process he has some insight into Oz teams. He had no such insight before so why should he now? Clipboard carrying control-freaks are not (successful) Rugby coaches.
coodabeenawesome
Guest
Eddie the eagle really has no credibility until he makes it back to coach successfully at a decent level. The way he took aus rugby from the top of the world to 'clever cheating whingers' who lost everything in the cabinet is still his defining achievement. Regardless of how 'technically astute' ,or how detailed his ruby knowledge is ,so far he has only proven how not to coach a group of men. I dont think he can ever make up for the damage he caused aus rugby. Until he coaches at a high level successfully again its probably best to ignore him and to be remember him as the springboks assistant coach.
Tarragon Fields
Guest
"disgruntled employee" - Perfectly put!
Ben S
Roar Guru
'These are very interesting observations. Eddie obviously watched Youngs’ and Flood’s pretty hopeless efforts in key games against Ireland, Leinster and Saracens. When their preferred loose, fast game isn’t on, they don’t seem to have the nous to play smart rugby.' Based on specific games we could level the same accusations at Genia and Cooper, for example, VC. Flood was the only England back (and Ashton) who made any real impression against Ireland with the ball in hand. The comments have some validity, but very few half-backs do well with slow ball.
Joseph
Guest
I have never listened to Eddie Jones. He is just a disgruntled employee as far as I'm concerned. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.