Eddie Jones weighs in on TMO controversy
Ahead of Australia’s crucial clash with Fiji in Saint-Étienne on Sunday, the combative head coach delivers his assessment on the state of international rugby.
Less focus on power, more continuous play and a serious rethink about the use of the Telivision Match Official (TMO) – these are Eddie Jones’ latest manifesto points for a better, healthier game.
The Australia head coach may have a squad to prepare for a critical World Cup match against Fiji, but that did not stop him from sharing his thoughts on where international rugby, and those in charge, need to improve.
“You can see in this World Cup the game is evolving into these 30-second bouts of absolute power,” Jones said. “Big people (are) playing the game, so, you’ve got these 30-second bouts of power then interspersed with a two-minute burst of ‘soccer’ where there is a lot of transition and you’ve got to be able to play really quickly.
“I think it’s really fascinating at the moment where the game will go next. World Rugby have tried to make the game safer but they’ve made it more powerful, by having more stoppages in the game. And there’s risks to that, there’s risks when the game becomes more powerful.”
On a day when Jones was having to deal with the damaging prospect of skipper Will Skelton joining other injured Wallaby big guns, prop Taniela Tupou and first-choice scrum-half Tate McDermott, on the sidelines, he was adamant that “this World Cup is going to be decided by who can win those power contests”.
The man who took England to the final four years ago did acknowledge that facing Fiji is one of the few games where the transitional ‘soccer-like’ play takes on added importance. But most of the time, it is the power game that wins out and that, according to Jones, is not good news.
“You know the average ball-in-play is 30 seconds, the average break-in-play is 70 seconds, so you encourage a power contest. We need more continuous play,” he argued.
“We are lucky because international rugby is so popular. You look at Lille last night, 50,000 there to watch France play Uruguay. We play a practice game (pre-Rugby World Cup) against France, there’s 80,000 people there. International rugby is so popular we could almost put anything on the field and people are still going to come because of the nationalism and patriotism of the teams.
“But we really need to improve the game.”
Jones’ World Cup coaching record is second to very few. With two finals appearances plus arguably the greatest shock ever to his name as head coach, and a winner’s medal from his time as assistant coach to the Springboks in 2007, the 63-year-old has just about done it all.
But preparing a team to take on the 2023 demands of being both uber-powerful and yet able to occasionally switch and play at super-speed is a live challenge.
“Coaching-wise, I think how you prepare S&C-wise (strength and conditioning) for almost two different games is quite intriguing,” Jones said. “And then how you get the players to have the skillset to be able to play this power game and at the same time be able to play an open, transitional game.”
Should Jones manage to achieve the feat and get his power players tuned up to compete with Fiji’s counter-attacking, counter-rucking specialists, his side will have almost guaranteed their spot in the quarter-finals. But before turning his full attention back to that task, Jones had time for one more swipe at modern rugby.
“I think our use of the TMO in rugby is fraught with danger. They are asking a referee in the grandstand to make decisions on a different angle on the game, through video. It’s not making the game a better spectacle, it’s not making a better game for the players.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Good Luck Sam, enjoy Japan.
1 Go to commentsWhen Sth Africa had Joost and Honiball at 9 and 10 they were almost impenetrable in and around the ruck. Even Jonah couldn't make headway in those channels so they were very hard to get in behind. They had a fantastic side who played a fast, rugged style which won them the Tri Nations during that period. That side would beat their current mob of which I have no doubt.
2 Go to commentsAwesome win by the NZ U20s. They were excellent in the 2nd half with some very patient and accurate phase play, a dominant scrum and decent lineout. Simpson controlled things very well at 10 and it was amazing to see the team maintain their composure and score points when he was in the sin bin for a very harsh yellow card.
2 Go to commentscome on Toulouse
1 Go to commentsNot unless the cartels get interested in rugby like they did w football
1 Go to commentsYes Dobbo, you were absolute crap. Start respecting the ball and possession. If you played rugby instead of basketball against the Ospreys, you would have been n the top two now, not fifth! If you attractively and entertainingly throw the ball around for 80 minutes and lose, WE DON’T FKN ENJOY IT!
1 Go to commentsWe need a system of transfer fees. A club shouldn’t just get to sign Will Harrison when he’s been funded in NSW his entire rugby life because they have more money.
89 Go to commentsThat the pain experienced by SH clubs poached mercilessly by NH friends being now felt by the non-elite NH clubs delivers me an element of schadenfreude but if it expands the amount of poachees and opens the eyes of those new to the group then it serves a purpose. In my pessimistic (realistic?) moments I see Oz clubs in the future acting solely as feeders for France and Japan. It’s a real possibility without change
89 Go to commentswhy is this garbage rival sport that’s poaching rugby talents being promoted on a rugby website backed by world rugby again?
5 Go to comments“Ou Lem” leading that ‘98 team to a 13-3 victory was the stuff of legend! Especially since we hadn’t beaten them for many years. 10/12/13 combo of Honiball, Pieter Muller & Andre Snyman were tough as nails! I remember screaming my head off in the early hours of the morning & my brother hitting a hole through one of the bedroom doors🤭😂
2 Go to commentsWhatever about 2017 - it's seven years ago and irrelevant now. In 2021 New Zealand needed a numerical advantage for 75% of the game and what was then the largest home advantage crowd in the history of the sport in order to just _barely_ beat England.
3 Go to commentsBoth cards were harsh. Yet again highlighting rugby's inconsistencies and the absurd effect of cards
3 Go to commentsExcellent game management in the last 15 or so minutes to close it out. Aussie got a bit panicky.
3 Go to commentsWhile all this is going on… I’ve been thinking more about the NFL draft system and how to make the commercial elements of the game more sustainable for SA teams who precariously live on the fringe of these developments. SA teams play in Europe now, and are welcome, because there’s a novelty to it. SA certainly doesn’t bring the bucks (like a Japan would to SR) but they bring eyes to it. But if they don’t perform (because they don’t have the money like the big clubs) - it’s easy come easy go… I think there is an element of strategic drafting going on in SA. Where the best players (assets) are sort of distributed amongst the major teams. It’s why we’re seeing Moodie at the Bulls for example and not at his homegrown Western Province. 20-30 years ago, it was all about playing for your province of birth. That has clearly changed in the modern era. Maybe Moodie couldn’t stay in the cape because at the time the Stormers were broke? Or had too many good players to fit him in? Kistchoff’s sabbatical to Ireland and back had financial benefits. Now they can afford him again (I would guess). What I am getting at is - I think SA Rugby needs to have a very strong strategy around how teams equitably share good youth players out of the youth structures. That is SA’s strong point - a good supply of good players out of our schools and varsities. It doesn’t need to be the spectacle we see out of the states, but a system where SA teams and SA rugby decide on where to draft youth, how to fund this and how to make it that it were possible for a team like the Cheetahs (for example) to end up with a team of young stars and win! This is the investment and thinking that needs to be happening at grassroots to sustain the monster meanwhile being created at the top.
89 Go to commentsGreat win - but very poor officiating yet again. Even the Aussie commentators slammed the YC decisions.
2 Go to commentsThe game where it felt like RSA was going to lose the most was the England game in my view. Heart in throat after the Farrell drop-goal…Amazing that the boks overcame 3 times in a row…not likely to be repeated ever in my view Also the boys looked emotionally spent in the England game in the 1st half That said, why was World Rugby and Beaumont allowed to stack the pools in England’s favour? Toughest opponents on that side of the draw were Fiji, Argentina (implode central) and Auckland Girls 2nd team
58 Go to commentsOnline trolls - the only ppl who the Crusaders can beat
2 Go to commentsDefinitely some greater nous by the Walleroos and it will take a bit of time for Jo Yapp to have a lasting affect. Canada are a forward dominated physical team and only the top 3 teams can match them, though not so sure about BF’s forwards. Many of Canada’s forwards earn their living in the English PWR, the breeding ground for the Red Roses amazing strength in depth. The next PAC4 matches will be interesting.
1 Go to commentsIs the Club World Cup and the World League, in combination, going to make or break world Rugby? I personally think it’s too much. Established tournaments and competitions’s significance is going to be drowned out by “the new shiney Mall built just down the street”.
89 Go to commentsLoved Carr‘s post match interview. “No, I don’t think so Jean. But thank you.” Good kid. Louw a certain feature for the Boks this year.
1 Go to comments