Eddie Jones has labelled Bruce Craig as the “Donald Trump of rugby” as England’s Australian head coach escalated his feud with the owner of club side Bath.
Craig ignited hostilities last week by criticising Jones’ methods after 15 players, including five from his club, had sustained training injuries since the former Wallabies boss’s reign began in late 2015.
The discord continued upon England’s arrival in Durban on Sunday for the three-Test series against South Africa, when former Brumbies chief Jones responded to Craig’s view that recent remarks he had made were “cynical” and “inappropriate”.
“Bruce Craig sounds like the Donald Trump of rugby. He has the same hairstyle,” Jones said.
“Everything we do is about training to get better, it’s not about satisfying some bloke who has got plenty of money in Bath and thinks he knows everything about rugby. I find it all a bit tedious.”
Bath prop Beno Obano has been ruled out for a year with a knee and hamstring injury sustained while preparing for England’s non-cap international against the Barbarians, prompting Craig to describe the attrition rate in training as “totally unacceptable”.
The former pharmaceuticals company owner is to pursue the matter through the English Professional Game Board, on which he sits alongside representatives from the English Rugby Football Union, Premiership Rugby and Rugby Players’ Association.
Jones had insisted Craig has no right to question his regime and went back on the offensive ahead of Saturday’s opening Test at Ellis Park.
“We’ve got an owner who thinks he knows everything about rugby. Really, I wish I knew that much,” Jones said.
“If I knew that much I’d probably have as much money as him. Unfortunately I don’t so I’ll just stick to rugby.
“Bruce is absolutely obsessed by intensity – Bruce is the intensity king of the world. We train appropriately for Test-match rugby.
“It seems like whatever Bruce says, goes. Who knows, maybe he’ll be the CEO of the RFU soon.
“It’s not my job to speak to club owners, it’s my job to coach the national team and if he’s such an expert on training preparation then possibly he should start coaching.
“Maybe he wants to coach Bath, who knows? Maybe he wants to coach the Natal Sharks. I don’t really care what he says, it doesn’t affect what I do with the team.
“The players know that the training we do, we do for them to get better. We want to be the best team in the world and we train to get better.”
Johnno
Guest
Eddie jones ran QLD reds players into the ground and cause injuries... Reds players have expressed this when he was coach up there.. Eddie Jones seems good at picking up teams when they are rock bottom as his harsh toughen up methods work... But then he becomes stale and he just runs players into the ground and burns them out.... England have faded in his 3rd season in charge..
Englishbob
Guest
Eddie inherited long term grudges of club versus country in England. A form of central contracting would alleviate alot of this, the RFU paying a portion of the wages of elite squad players in return for guaranteed rest periods and progression plans but it'll never happen. A few very rich owners are keeping the league's top teams afloat and if the RFU aren't willing to cough up then the clubs have a right to bemoan the destruction of their assets.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Haven't the clubs also been heavily compensated for access to test players? Something like 20GBP per season?
FunBus
Roar Rookie
To give an example, Mako Vunipola came on as sub during the first warm-up game of the Lions tour to NZ. SInce then he's played 35 games virtually without a break. He tends to last at least 70 minutes and sometimes goes the whole game. Next Saturday he's about to play the Boks at altitude in the first of three tests (the second one at altitude as well). Throw in Jones's training methods that are producing widespread concern (not just from Bath) and there is no way on earth any human being will be anywhere near his best. Something's got to give in the management of players in the game in England soon.
Suzy Poison
Guest
Eddie Jones style of training always gets results within the first two years. After 2yrs, the intensity is unsustainable, and the teams tank. This just sounds to me like a Club Owner trying to back his players. From everything that I can see about England, his players look tired. They look over-trained. I have told this story before on the roar. I have a mate who played Professional Rugby in Japan. Jones made his assistants stay up all Saturday night, till the early hours of Sunday (for a club game) cutting a tape of every player, so he had that tape in his hand by 7am on Sunday morning. Pretty quickly the players and assistant coaches revolted. I am quite frankly surprised it's lasted this long.
cuw
Guest
this is a legitimate question from a concerned owner - though he has not done it with clarity or rather than looking like TRUMPish. the best known case during Eddie's tenure is WASPS flanker SAM JONES - who broke a leg so badly in Judo training , that he had to retire at the ripe old age of 26. That camp in 2016 was criticized a lot due to some other guys getting injured as well. one issue with those injuriies maybe the length guys are out. that is the main issue for club owners. on the other side of the coin - there may be many reasons for these injuries , like the long season fatigue , not at peak condition due to lax training at clubs , carrying a small niggle which blows up , ..... IMO what everyone in rugger shud be concerned of is the attrition rate. during the Crusaders v Chiefs match it was said that both sides have used 41 players so far this super season. quality players are not a bottomless pit - so these injuries will one day result in average guys playing average rugger... :(
Lara
Guest
This can't be good for the players. The clubs are their bread n butter , test rugby is the cream on top n top honours that can be used to enhance one's career . EJ n owners need to work together, but money talks n at the end of the day the players will be treated as cattle.
AG
Guest
sounds like the wheels are falling off the eddie jones band wagon
Ralph
Roar Guru
"The former pharmaceuticals company owner is to pursue the matter through the English Professional Game Board, on which he sits .." LOL. I can't imagine what the boards opinion might be.
PeterK
Roar Guru
I do like that Jones puts a rich club owner back in his place. However 15 injuries in training over 3 years seems excessive. I wonder if it is the long year of accumulitive wear and tear with long club and intl seasons, combined with harder training on English players who are not used to the speed and fitness Jones requires. Also I wonder if the rate of injuries is consistent or more occurred earlier years and the type of injuries.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Love it, love the disconnect, good old club versus country rears its head beautifully again. Go get em Jones!?