Eddie Jones smiles in his own inimitable way that he’s just another Australian with an “inferiority complex” when it comes to playing England at sport.
So the man who’s guided England to seven straight convincing wins over his home country reckons he’s ideally placed to understand just how psyched up Dave Rennie’s Wallabies will be to end their losing streak at Twickenham on Sunday morning. (AEDT)
After unveiling a powerful and innovative-looking side on Thursday, Jones, in familiarly cheeky and combative mood, noted: “I know as an Australian – and it’s probably hard for the English to understand – what an important game this is for Australia.
“This is a game where Australians don’t go away. This is the game they want to win.
“We have bit of an inferiority complex against the English, the Australians, so they’ll want to take us to where they want to.
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s the Olympics, Test cricket, rugby league….this is the game that defines their season.
“The Australian side have had a great run recently, they won five Tests in a row and have played some really good rugby under Dave Rennie.
“A number of the staff who have worked with me are on his staff, so they’ll be very well prepared.”
To handle what he expects to be a major challenge, Jones has picked a side designed to squeeze in all his most powerful backline weapons, with the new star of English rugby Marcus Smith starting at 10, Owen Farrell outside him at 12 and Manu Tuilagi starting in a rare and unlikely outing on the wing.
How much had Jones seen of the barnstorming centre Tuilagi as a winger? “Enough,” smiled the Aussie, who knows the 30-year-old hasn’t started in that position in a Test since 2014.
“Last season, Gael Fickou played on the wing for France and was outstanding and the game lends itself to a powerhouse centre, so we’re looking forward to him playing there.
“I see (in Tuilagi) a powerful player who’s probably in the best condition of his career, who will add to the ball players we’ve got inside and will finish off the movements that we have.
“He’ll be able to roam on the field, play like a second or third centre.”
Asked by one intrepid English reporter whether his 100% winning record meant anything in the greater scheme of things and whether he particularly enjoyed beating his home country, Jones offered one of his razor-sharp put-downs.
“Zero and zero – so that’s two dots, and if you get that in a T20, you’re not having a good over,” smiled the master.
“So I’d try again.”
Double Agent
Guest
" a healthy smattering of foreign accents amongst it’s staff, including a good dose of British ones." Them Brits are quite handy with the bus driving. Very keen on becoming union delegates too!! :laughing:
Double Agent
Guest
Me too! :thumbup:
Greco Dominicus
Roar Rookie
I checked turn out you're right :thumbup: . Could have sworn I saw a different stat a while back, I must be getting old.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
That too!
Double Agent
Guest
Are they playing back to back games? 10 minutes between fulltime game 1 and kick off game 2? :laughing: :laughing:
Double Agent
Guest
"It's not really a sport" Bizarre!! :laughing:
Double Agent
Guest
Aussie have won more ashes tests and more ashes series and have held the ashes for more years.
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
Oh absolutely, I'm not saying that they have done particularly well!
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
There's no doubting there are some centres of excellence in certain sports JD that manifest in high per capita showings. But I think you underestimate not only the number of sports that are participated in in the UK, or how pervasive and exported UK coaching and methods are in those. But to take a sport possibly closest to our hearts and highest profile currently, I'm going to (possibly controversially) argue all that is foreign is not always gold. Eddie's record breaking run was largely achieved on the back of Lancaster's squad (that guy was hard done to, another story) and since then, despite an embarrassment of riches and resources has still failed to deliver the prize Woodward did, but has delivered the two worst home nations competitions ever. And is still picking Ben Youngs. And to pick another sport you mention, raps to Bayliss for creating an ODI and T20 monster. But there's still no Test side in his legacy. I'm old fashioned enough to think that one matters most. Over to you Chris Silverwood and your all English (almost, welcome Jeetan) coaching team. Let's not talk about League. It's really not a sport.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
Well that should quell some of the Australian hand wringing over front rows. Maybe.
FunBus
Roar Rookie
Genge is now out with covid as well.
charels
I wouldn't call it an inferiority complex, maybe it is, but I always get unique satisfaction when we beat England at rugby or cricket. The only rugby team I currently like beating more is RSA, for entirely different reasons.
Greco Dominicus
Roar Rookie
Poms have won more Test Matches than Aussies. 150 versus 133 or some such. Slightly more Ashes series too. Aussies are better at League though.
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
There's a big difference between having some foreigners around the place in different roles than having so many people from the same medium sized country on the other side of the world in the top job of so many sports.
Lara
Guest
Eddie is worried because he has no idea how the Wallabies will preform on the day, that’s because the Wallabies have no idea…..DR is such a crafty devil , a bit like Eddie himself.
Wowser
Guest
Eddie will chalk up his 9th consecutive win against this Wallaby rabble.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
Me, or Aussies in general? Both, would be my answer. :happy:
Just a fan
Guest
Sounds a bit like 'a complex' there though ken regarding the brits waltzing into management.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
More A than B and Jones has had notable injury misses of his own, although with his squad depth far less hurtful. However he does at least try to even things up further by picking players out of position or totally ignoring others.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
Oh, I’d have to say, Biltong that the general idea holds water. It’s known over here as a ‘cultural cringe’. Our rebellions against British overlords were short, unsuccessful and meek in comparison to other colonies, and we tend to acquiesce to their older, therefore ‘superior’, culture (ironically given that we sit amongst the red dust of the oldest continuous culture on earth). Many Brits walk into management and other prominent leadership positions here with sheer confidence and poker faced professionalism. Aussies are great but we’re a funny breed of cattle.