He played in Australia’s two Rugby World Cup victories, captained his country during one of the Wallabies’ most successful eras and even earned the nickname ‘nobody’ – because nobody’s perfect.
Yet according to radio personality Alan Jones, John Eales was very overrated.
Former Wallabies coach Jones launched a short but astonishing attack on Eales on Monday as the broadcaster continued his tirade against the Australian Rugby Union.
“Very overrated player. I’ve always thought Eales an overrated administrator,” Jones told Network Ten of Eales, who is on the ARU board.
Jones has spent much of the past week blasting the ARU as the fallout continues from coach Ewen McKenzie’s resignation and the imbroglio involving star player Kurtley Beale.
Jones said ARU boss Bill Pulver had much to answer for as well, but his attack on Eales is sure to raise some eyebrows.
Eales, widely regarded as one of Australian rugby’s all-time greats, captained Australia in 55 Tests and scored the most points for a forward in the international history of the code.
The lock retired in 2001 with 86 Wallabies caps having played in or captained a national side that won every major trophy in the game.
Eales did not play under Jones in the Australian set-up, the broadcaster losing his post as Wallabies coach after the team’s failed 1987 World Cup campaign.
Eales debuted for Australia in 1991.
The pair have had something of a history outside rugby – with Eales appearing in court to give evidence for Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates in 2007.
Coates was suing Jones over comments the broadcaster made about the “no-row” affair at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Eales was an Australian athlete mentor at the Games.
The NSW Supreme Court found that Jones defamed Coates during three radio broadcasts and ordered $360,000 in damages be paid.
pjm
Roar Rookie
It's funny how today it's the players fault if they don't like the coach and back in the day it seems it was the coaches fault.
Farmer
Guest
Why attack Eales and why now? I would suggest Jones was not invited to the John Eales Awards night tonight and he has taken aim in his vindictive style. He is a bitter old man.
Col in paradise
Guest
Alan Jones comment is about as accurate as his views on Climate change!.....the man belows in a London Toilet
Shane D
Roar Rookie
Anyone who refers to a great player with a slur has no relevance.
Shane D
Roar Rookie
Brian Smith played 6 tests for Australia. 4 starting at SH, 1 off the bench as a SH & 1 at FH. He went on to play 9 tests for Ireland all at FH.
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
I'm not a Queenslander - I've only been up here twenty years - but what in the sweet cheeses is a "JBP" and how did "Qlders" - Queenslanders? - manage to lose it?
Old Bluey
Guest
Nothing of the sort. I was coached by Jones at Manly in '83 - the year we won. Mark Ella went away on the Grand Slam tour at the end of '84. He retired after the tour because of Jones coaching style. He said Jones "sucked the fun out of playing". Ella also couldn't handle his OTT nature. Jones works 18 hour days and was way too intense for a laid back player like Ella. Ella was also replaced by Andrew Slack as Wallaby captain on that tour and Ella wasn't too pleased with that.
In Brief
Guest
I agree completely. Great player, terrible commentator. Not only is he over schooled in corporate speak, he also has a voice which sounds mincingly effeminate. It is really hard to listen to Eales speak.
Farmer
Guest
Jones holds a grudge against the ARU because they overlooked him as Wallaby coach when they appointed Connolly and Deans. He is bitter and twisted and never misses the opportunity to launch a barrage of criticism towards the ARU. Eales is a ARU Board member and hence he is in the firing line.
Wardad
Guest
Jones the accused .....
JohnB
Guest
When he first started club rugby both he and Peter Slattery were at Wests and it was a bit of an issue which one played half in firsts. Slattery left to Uni solving that one, but Smith certainly played plenty of 9 in club football. My perception of him was always as a halfback who later became a 10. I think he played much more 9 while still in Australia.
Schadenfreude
Guest
Perfect, not invisible.
Tissot Time
Guest
Davey this is an old classification (DSMV now) but this is my assessment of AJ's disorder DSM IV 301.50 and a number of others in the recent limelight.
Johnno
Guest
Dan He's a north shore boy now, he lives in Mosman next door neighbour of Bill Pulver.
Magic Sponge
Guest
He was a 10 at Easts and played 10 for wallabies.
Huh?
Guest
Jones wants an ARU board seat and Eales is one obstacle. Theo other is the other 99.99 per cent of rugby people.
Daveyboy
Guest
He was asked to leave Kings as he was grooming some of the boys. This is a common report among teams he has coached. Only the vulnerable. I get the feeling he would like to give Kurtley some grooming and, together with his hatred of women (read Di Patston), ithis is underpinning this bizarre tirade. Further, he has a personality disorder almost certainly.
44bottles
Roar Guru
Cause he's, like, really really, like, north shore, like Brisbane North Shore... like..
Ajax
Guest
We won 2 world cups with him in the side.. none without him.. I still have to pinch myself when I think about his "after the siren " penalty he nailed to defeat the All Blacks over in NZ.. we hadn't won at that venue for over seventy years... he knocked it over like he could do it in his sleep. During a super game, an opposition penalty kick bound to go over was swatted to the ground by Eales.. no one knew what to do, including the ref, it had never been done before..
Zero Gain
Guest
I am afraid that I might die of shame if Jones was ever reinstated as Wallaby coach.