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Opinion
Sun Tzu wrote in The Art of War that if you “know the enemy and know yourself, and in a hundred battles you will never be in peril”.
For those unfamiliar with Sun Tzu, he was a Chinese general of the Eastern Zhou period (roughly 2500 years ago), and his treatise on strategy, The Art of War, has been used as a philosophical guide by leaders in the military, business and politics since that time.
That brings us to the key phrase in the above quote: “know the enemy and know yourself”. We can apply that to Eddie Jones.
In the context of “knowing yourself” – that is, the Wallabies and Australian rugby – the man can certainly tick the box. His playing days were completed here and he’s previously coached the Brumbies, the Reds and the Wallabies, but his recent coaching record against Australia while managing England is far more telling. One thing is certain: he certainly has us well figured out.
Now we come to “know your enemy”. As the head coach of England for the past seven years, you’d have to say that he knows their set-up and players in depth. We’re off to a good start.
Indeed, while all international coaches would have a good look at opposing teams and their players, those in Europe have the advantage of seeing their national players against other internationals and knowing what cattle are available to both them and their opponents. Jones has been doing that for the past seven years.
Further, with a Six Nations coming up, and given the draw that England have in the World Cup, you can safely assume that Eddie has been plotting and planning the demise of his opponents, and those plans and information are now in the hands of the Wallabies.
Before writing this, I did a bit of research into Jones’s coaching resume, and I was genuinely impressed: 28 years of experience, including four national sides and seven major clubs in four different competitions as either a head coach, assistant coach or technical advisor. I think we can say that the “know your enemy” box is ticked.
For those reasons Eddie Jones is a sound choice as a coach. There are many challenges and difficulties before him, but that brings us to another Sun Tzu quote: “It is the sovereign’s function to give broad instructions, but to decide on battle it is the function of the general”.
As Eddie Jones is now our general, hopefully Rugby Australia will let him decide on battle.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.