Eddie Jones contract extension: 'The players will let me know'
Eddie Jones wants England to emulate Liverpool by capturing imaginations through playing a thrilling brand of rugby, starting with Sunday’s Guinness Six Nations opener against France.
Jones enters his fifth Championship having cleansed himself of the heartache caused by last autumn’s World Cup final defeat to South Africa by completing a gruelling CrossFit camp in Japan.
And England’s head coach insists whether his contract is extended beyond 2021, when it is due to expire, will be dictated by the ongoing response to his methods from his players.
But his immediate concern is launching the Six Nations with victory in Paris using the blueprint of swashbuckling Premier League leaders Liverpool.
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WATCH: Andy Farrell and Jonathan Sexton spoke to the press following Ireland’s 19-12 win over Scotland at the Aviva Stadium.
“We want to have an effect on how the nation sees rugby,” Jones said.
“The number of football fans that have come up to me and said they watched England in the World Cup semi-final gives you an indication we have done that.
“When you play that sort of rugby, people want to watch it. It’s like Liverpool now – everyone wants to watch Liverpool because they play with that ferocity.
This is the last thing the @AllBlacks wing needed after starting to finally find his feet again on the field.https://t.co/yfpDshhZVP #SuperRugby
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 2, 2020
“They play with that desire and they never get beaten. Even when they do get beaten, they haven’t been beaten. We want people to speak about us like that. You can have an affect on people’s lives.”
Jones continued with the football theme to explain how he views his Twickenham future.
In the wake of Japan 2019, neither the Rugby Football Union nor Jones have been in a hurry to extend his stay when his existing deal runs out, and the Australian believes the decision is in the hands of his team.
“I heard Pep Guardiola talking about whether he’s going to re-sign at Man City. It’s a bit like that,” Jones said.
“The players tell you whether you should continue or not and that’s what I’m looking it. The players will let me know.
“If the players play well and the team is going well, then maybe you should continue. If the team’s indifferent then maybe they need a change.
“The only reason I’m continuing is because I think this team can improve. Over the next period of time I think we can become the best rugby team ever and that’s the exciting bit.
“The RFU only want me to continue if they think I can improve the team. The contract is important from a legal point of view but they want to win and I want to win.”
England will discover on Sunday if there is any lingering hangover from their World Cup final defeat by the Springboks, but Jones’ own disappointment has been eased in a different way.
“You go through a grieving period for a World Cup. I had three weeks in Japan, of which one week I didn’t do any rugby at all, which is a little bit unusual!” Jones said.
“Then I was ready to go again. It’s probably the longest I’ve gone without rugby. My wife and I did CrossFit – three times a day.
“It’s ridiculous at our age! It was on a little tropical island called Okinawa. It was a bit of a cleansing then I came back and was ready to go. Rip in.
“You don’t have to think. You just get in there and rip in. I love being a 60-year-old competing against 40-year-olds, seeing if I can beat them.
“I started last and got into the middle of the class by the end. Mrs Jones is fit!”
PA
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments