What are we to make of the Eddie Jones’ plan to hire a psychologist to help his England side stop throwing away winning leads in important Tests?
My opinion is that the psychologist should concentrate on Jones’ coaching methods before he starts working on the England squad.
The reason for this is that Jones is the epitome of the ‘Boss Coach’.
Boss Coaches plan everything regarding their teams, both on and off the field, in meticulous detail. And the teams are expected to follow the plan in every detail, even when the plan is failing.
Take England’s collapse against Scotland in their last game of the 2019 Six Nations tournament. The Jones boys squandered a 31-point lead, and then levelled the game on time to come off with a 38-all draw.
As a number of British rugby writers have noted, this was the fourth time in 12 Tests that England had squandered a big lead.
All teams get beaten from time to time, even when they establish commanding leads.
But the constant factor in the England collapses is that while they were taking place, England still continued its (failing) Plan A game of mauling, kicking and scrumming for penalties.
This gets us back to Eddie Jones and the Boss Coach syndrome.
Jones meticulously plans games and coaches his side exactly to the plan. He is ferocious about this. There are stories about players given a hard time for scoring a try after a long run when the playbook called for another pass.
When this method works – as it does often, for Jones is a successful coach – it produces results like Japan’s underdog victory of the century in the 2015 Rugby World Cup tournament when a last-minute, skilfully-plotted and carried-out sequence of play led to a famous try that saw the Brave Blossoms defeat the Springboks for the first time ever.
Jones, admittedly, enjoyed an historic 18-Test winning streak with England in the first two years or so of his coaching stint with the side.
But when the Boss Coach system doesn’t work, it fails miserably.
The mark of a Jones-coached side is that it rarely seems to be able improvise a victory when its Plan A has disintegrated.
When the coach does all the thinking for the players, and insists on this as Boss Coach Jones does, he can’t expect the players to suddenly play what is happening in front of them with adjusted tactics.
My suggestion to all of this is that Jones needs to appoint a psychologist for himself to work through his Boss Coach obsession, and then for his team.
(Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
The All Blacks pioneered the use of psychologists to improve their ability to close out tough matches that they were losing in successive Rugby World Cup tournaments after their initial victory in 1987.
The idea was to school the players into taking leadership of what was happening on the field and how their decision-making could be sharpened to change the momentum of Tests so that close contests ended with the All Blacks winning.
The program started in 2004. It failed in RWC 2007. It took eight years in all with the program before another Rugby World Cup was won in 2011. And then, another tournament victory in 2015.
So it will be interesting to see whether the Jones Boss Coach method can get a better outcome for England than the eight-year turn-around achieved by the All Blacks coaches with their ‘Coach As Mentor’ approach.
All these thoughts came to mind as I saw the Waratahs win a splendid victory against the Crusaders at the SCG on Saturday night.
The Waratahs, apparently, hired a psychologist earlier this year to improve the decision-making of the players on the field and to also give them better mental tools to cope with the pressures – on and off the field – of being professional rugby players.
It is clearly early days but the victory against the Crusaders, ending their 19-game Super Rugby winning sequence, was one of the Waratahs’ best performances in some years.
Is the psychologist for the Waratahs winning the battle for their minds?
The Waratahs had a game plan to cope with the slippery field and wet ball that was superior to the Crusaders game plan which was predicated on a dry field and ball.
Kurtley Beale stood deep and banged the ball deep. Then the Waratahs presented a ferocious defensive line that caused the Crusaders to spill many passes after their runners were smashed with the constant pressure of an advancing defensive line.
(AAP Image/Jeremy Ng)
The Crusaders’ line-out and scrum were disrupted too.
The Waratahs put Beale in positions where he could take on the defence from turnovers or from running back Crusaders kicks. This is where Beale excels, with his broken-field bursts.
Israel Folau, too, was put into a game a lot more than usual, either bursting on to the ball from turnovers or contesting high balls with his unique jumping talents.
Best of all for the Waratahs, they showed a mental strength when the Crusaders came back at them the assault from the visitors was, almost always, turned back.
Last year, the Waratahs broke out to a huge lead against the Crusaders which they conceded when a fight-back of epic resilience was launched by the Crusaders.
But there was no similar collapse this year against the Crusaders. Are the messages from the psychologist starting to be heeded?
Moving on from this match, we come to another issue that needs to be addressed.
Namely the new Sydney Football Stadium.
The SCG was exposed as being totally unsuitable for big-time rugby on Saturday. As George Gregan explained before the Waratahs-Crusaders match, the thin grass cover needed ‘cross-hatching’ to be resilient enough to survive the weight and pressure of scrums.
As well, the draining system of the ground meant that with rain on it the surface became like a skating rink for the players as they found it often difficult and sometimes impossible to keep their footing when changing direction or going into tackles.
The old Sydney Football Stadium had an ideal surface for rugby, by way of contrast.
But its facilities, including adequate toilet facilities for women, shelter from rain, plus keenly-priced and convenient food stalls were all hopelessly inadequate compared with the SCG.
One of the reasons for diminishing crowds to rugby and rugby league matches is that the old Sydney Football Stadium was no longer a venue that could cater for the expectations of modern spectators.
One of the disappointments arising out of the campaign to stop the demolition of the inadequate Sydney Football Stadium was the muted defence of the new Sydney Football stadium from the rugby world.
(Image: Facebook/Allianz Stadium)
The Chief Executive of Rugby Australia, Raelene Castle, expressed support for the new stadium. But it seemed to me to be muted support, at best.
And where was the strident support that should have come from the Waratahs organisation?
As for my old paper, The Sydney Morning Herald, its extremist attacks on the new Sydney Football Stadium, its denialism of the fact that spectators will only attend matches when there is some comfort in the experience, suggested that political not spectator concerns were primary in its opposition.
It took the veteran Roy Masters, a star rugby league writer, to set out the case for a new Sydney Football Stadium in overwhelming detail.
The Waratahs and Roy Masters are my star performers for the week: one for its terrific performance on the field and the other for his defence of a project that is going to host, in a magnificent manner, great rugby matches for decades to come.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
I'd agree with all of that. Being the best all round 10 doesn't, however, mean 10 for all occasions and Ford is both able and different - I still think Jones needs to deploy or insert him better in games (and having Farrell as captain only seems to make those decisions harder). And to your analogy, Farrell's probably a better Corporal to someone else's Captain - I think the responsibility is too much to place at your playmaker and kickers door in any case. Hartley has probably come closest lately, but can he really be selected for that alone anymore, particularly when he's done around the 55th minute? I like the idea of George in the role, not least because I like Hookers having the opportunity at the scrum to have face time and a chat with a ref. Done properly it builds rapport. He looks to have the personality, but he'd have to be given time to grow into it because he's not it yet - and can you develop 'x' factor? Conversely, Itoje's screaming nuisance game would have to change completely. Captaincy and leadership is undoubtedly an issue throughout the team. I think a lot of that can be put down to the chopping and changing of selections and the woeful injury lists. The '03 team was full of leaders, but those like Greenwood and Dayglo were ever-present and became those leaders in part because of it.
Chuckling
Guest
Yet the Trust has presided over the SCG debacle... costing a huge amount. They have let the SFS decay, and have done nothing over the years to address the concerns... Spyro you honestly think that the well heeled rugby crowd will now flick away from Paddo to access the cold meat pies, crunchy hot dogs, and low strength warm beer because they can order it in 2 mins instead of 5mins? Whilst I don’t disagree that a new shiny stadium is nice, your obscuring the negligence of the Trust in doing absolutely nothing for years. I don’t know about anyone else but these issues are common at all grounds. Spectators adjust by going to the toilet before the fort whistle, by going out prior to the game or after.... the argument extended by you and your mates is a fallacy and with respect you can’t avoid the waste on the public purse with finite resources and things much more important that games.
Homer Gain
Guest
Good point. My view on Farrell has always been "if he is World best/class fly-half, how come his national coach isn't playing him as a fly-half?" Now we've seen him playing fly-half, I suppose it begs the question is he world-best/class? My sense is that he is and is the best all-round 10 in the English game. But I don't see him as a leader. At the risk of relying on appalling class stereotypes (bad, but fun) I'd see him as the scheming Corporal, good for morale in the ranks and anathema to the enemy, but always at risk of taking a liberty far and being busted to the ranks. What I'm not clear about is who the real leaders are. I've seen Jamie George and Maro Itoje mooted in recent days, without much evidence to support it, beyond the idea that a Captain should be a forward. But this has been a real weak point in English rugby for years. Martin Johnson (and to a lesser extent Will Carling) had the x-factor in this regard. But we've had no one of a similar mould since. In any case one slightly despairs that a team with as much talent as this can't breed a slightly bigger pool of innate leadership across the group, rather than depend on one man.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
Don't get your knickers in a knot chris, I only said I would put money on them and in the end, it is only an opinion and very unlikely to get tested. You obviously think the English would beat them easily - OK that's your opinion.
Lara
Guest
Leading at the 67 min mark n then throw the game , because my aim is RWC....sounds to convincing to me.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Well Chris I’m yet to be convinced the leopards have changed their spots when it comes to World cup time. Against those that mattered in 2015 England, Ireland and Wales scored eight tries TOTAL in the six matches that mattered (assuming the ONE Ireland scored v Italy is counted) so one can go on and on about the fact that they ‘play an open game’. Likelhood is that against those sides that matter they will again revert to type. You really think Englands (or Irelands, or Wales) game in this years crucial pool matches will be described as: “England play very attacking rugby with many line breaks and scoring plenty tries”. NO CHANCE. Theyll all hold onto whatever they have and protect it like the crown jewels of England, hoping to score points in the process. have things changed that much since 2015 in that respect. I doubt it.
taylorman
Roar Guru
I'd back the Crusaders to win the 6 nations if it were on a home and away basis. Easily.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Yes but I bet they couldnt wait to see the back of him after a while.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Yes agree, makes me like him even less now... :-)
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
And the basics of tackling. Jonny May had pulled level with the Scottish hooker with still another 25 metres to the English line. He had the time and speed to practically get in front and introduce himself to McInally but instead made a rushed tackle attempt and missed pathetically for the Scottish opener. Quite how Sam Johnson became a bar of soap for Nowell, Daly and Spencer to score their last is beyond me. After a master class of tackling against the Irish in the tournament opener, there have been some howlers in pretty much every game since. But you have to say, at least two of the Scottish tries were sublime bits of skill any defence would have struggled with. And we probably need to talk about Owen. He was charged down and then later intercepted to hand the Scots two tries. No one seems to be talking about that much. Add to that yet another brain fade no arms charge and his off-colour performance against the Welsh from minute one the week before. Two games in a row where Jones should have hooked or moved him earlier.
riddler
Roar Rookie
Just. Great comment. Like it and agree with it.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
ScottD, Both Johan Ackermann when coaching the Johannesburg Lions and Pote Human current coach of The Bulls attribute their teams resurgence to John Mitchell.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
A well constructed response Chris. I will simplify it a dash….. To the best of my knowledge Eddie Jones has coached teams at 2 World Cups. Firstly as head coach of Australia where they finished with silver, and secondly as assistant coach with South Africa where they got gold. His record across the board speaks for itself. He doesn’t care a continental about this year’s 6 Nations. He wants to win the World Cup period. He may carry on about mental issues etc but I strongly suspect he knows where he is going. The rest is just spin.
adastra32
Roar Rookie
You saved me having to type this!
Chris
Roar Rookie
Spiro Zavos you really do yourself no favours by your blatant anti-English bias so much so that you can’t help but be negative or worse about them. Your stereotype of England as this team that only or mainly relies or set-peice, playing scrums and kicking penalties to win games doesn’t really hold any water, maybe that statement would have been true many years ago but certainly not now and not this English team. Infact at times their turning down of kickable penalties have cost them some games they should have won i.e. against the all blacks when they should have kicked for goal but kicked for corner and ended losing that game by a single point. What that tells us Spiro is that maybe you really haven’t watched much of England’s recent matches if any over the last few years. Because if you did you would know that England play very attacking rugby with many line breaks and scoring plenty trys, infact England scored the most trys this Six nations and scored many tries in the last games against Australia. They also won that 3 nil series in Australia playing attacking footie and scoring tries and not by set piece and kicking penalties. So please swallow you pride a bit and give a bit of credit please. But what I do agree with you on the article is that its tactics or plan B and not simply a psychologist they need to work on when they are put under pressure and end up throwing away leads. It’s just too simplistic to say a psychologist will solve that problem. Otherwise I do enjoy reading your articles sir.
chris
Guest
This is getting ridiculous now, talking of the crusaders beating England. Based on that analogy then the Crusaders would beat Wallabies all the time as England seem to be beating the Wallabies all the time now. The Crusaders would then also beat almost the entire rugby world as England are probably the second or third based team in the world, just because you said doesn't mean it bears any resemblance to reality but it's just your deluded personal opinion. Geees man get a grip.
Lara
Guest
Thanks for the input. As a coach , you also need to look at your playing stock. The Saders have some amazing talent, but also experience, so on the field decisions are make without hesitation n they trust their skills to carry out whatever plan they have in mind. They are structured but play with options n always remain fluid. I don’t believe England has that ability n EJ isn’t the type not to risk it , hence he will dictate the play. England game is tight n to the point, it works for them on most occasions, except when they have to chase .....except in the Scotland game, which they should have put away at the 50min mark.
ScottD
Roar Guru
I'm not sure that "boss coach" theory is quite as true as it was, Spiro. With the arrival of John Mitchell as assistant coach they now have two "boss coaches" so I would imagine that they have fairly robust conversations. Neither of them is known as a shrinking violet. I'd say that was positive for the culture.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
Lara, I think that coaches tend to fall into 2 camps, one believes the guys can't win without a tight game plan and the other camp believes the players can't win without a loose game plan. As all great tacticians state, it is the middle ground where the best parts lie, times to be tight and regimented and times to be loose and let yourself go. The Crusaders have been the exemplary example of when to go in either direction and I would put money on a top Crusaders team beating the English!
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Makes sense Ben. Lots of sense to have a long term approach. Yet again NZ showing the way.