Eddie The Ego Teaches A Masterclass in Manipulation
England coach Eddie Jones has vanquished everyone who stood between him and a series win over Australia, from the media to his old mate Michael Cheika. Scotty Stevenson watches and learns.
It won’t matter what happens in the third test between Australia and England in Sydney this weekend. England has already won the series and anything else is a bonus. More accurately, Eddie Jones has already won the series, because Eddie Jones has been quite happy to make this about Eddie Jones, and he’s done a fine job of that.
A case in point, I just used Eddie Jones’ name three times in the first paragraph which is, of course, just how Eddie Jones would have wanted that paragraph to be written. There are two reasons for this: one, he has a big ego (naturally, and like all coaches) and two, the more we talk about Eddie Jones, the less we talk about his England team which he knows is still a long way off being the genuine force he has convinced people they are.
Not that that fact has stopped him calling out the All Blacks, which he did immediately upon clinching the Australian series, and which he can do with impunity as the two sides aren’t scheduled to meet this season, or next. A good coach knows when he is on safe ground, and there’s no safer ground to be found than that laid upon a lofty comparison which can neither be proved nor disproved.
It has been an artful and mesmerising performance from Eddie Jones. Before he even landed in Australia he was admonishing the English press for their focus on the kicking woes of Owen Farrell during a pre-tour tune up of Wales, and from the moment he touched down he has enjoyed the benefit of a wonderful supporting cast, all reciting their required lines while he has been the star attraction in his own public relations uber production.
It seems everyone has fallen into line, ready to sip from the cup of Flavor Aid. Welcome to Jonestown!
There has been a master-on-apprentice feel to the entire endeavour across the Tasman. Jones knows Wallaby coach Michael Cheika well, but has many more kilometres on the coaching clock than his former Randwick mate. Cheika – bullish and abrasive, with a lengthy rap sheet of questionable conduct – must have seen this coming, but has been either unwilling to respond in kind, or resigned to the fact that he is powerless to fight back.
Jones wasted no time in going after Cheika, repeatedly calling him ‘the best coach in the world’ in reference to Cheika’s World Rugby honour after last year’s World Cup final loss. As far as compliments go, it was so backhanded it could have hit a match-winner on centre court. Using a guy’s award against him is such a devious trick you can only sit back and admire it, which most people did.
Jones wasted no time in going after Australia’s own rugby broadcaster, Fox Sports, forcing an on-air apology out of former Wallaby Stephen Hoiles after Hoiles tried to steal Jones’ thunder at the post-match press conference following the first test victory in Brisbane. Jones, who claimed to have been insulted by Hoiles, then launched a tirade against the network’s own tongue-in-cheek promo spot of the series, a spot sources say Jones had already viewed and privately enjoyed.
The RFU and the travelling media wasted no time rounding on Fox Sports which was, of course, Jones’ plan all along, but not even he could have believed (or could he?) how quickly the Australian press would also condemn the network stunt, which they did, and savagely so.
There has certainly been no wasting of time on this tour, but there have been plenty of wasted opportunities – mainly from the Australian team in a mistake-ridden performance in Melbourne last week on a ground that should never have passed muster as a test match venue.
Sydney Morning Herald Chief Rugby Reporter Georgina Robinson perfectly summed up the Wallabies performance on Sunday when she wrote:
“Australia were on the wrong end of some dubious penalty calls, but their own mistakes eclipsed any sense of injustice. There were knock-ons, slips and stuff-ups galore, so that their best efforts in attack – and there were some beauties – ended up on the scrap heap.”
However, the kicker in Robinson’s analysis came just one line later:
“England are back with a vengeance, thanks to the truly superior coaching of Jones.”
I don’t want to take issue with Robinson’s work here but Cheika’s coaching can hardly be blamed for his team developing an 80-minute case of the dropsies. It’s not the coaching of Jones that is ‘truly superior’, it is his control of the message.
And speaking of blame and control, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen can hardly be blamed for taking the opportunity to rub Cheika’s face in it, as he did this week when he pointed out that the Wallabies coach had been “bullied” by Eddie Jones. After all, the All Blacks will face the Wallabies (who won the Rugby Championship last year, you may recall) later in the season.
Hansen is as shrewd as Jones when it comes to winning the PR war – just look at the coverage of the All Blacks and their coach during the Rugby World Cup – and his message to Cheika is simple: feel free to up your game against me, son. You’ll have about as much success as you’re currently having against the other bloke.
Cheika’s response was instructive: “It’s easy to kick blokes when they are down”, he told the Australian press in the wake of Hansen’s remarks, trying in vain to paint himself as the victim. Sorry, Mr Cheika, but Eddie Jones beat you to that line two weeks ago, too, when he claimed even the Australian Customs officials were trying to undermine his tour. How good is the guy?
On the back of the series win the calls are now coming for Eddie Jones to coach the British and Irish Lions in New Zealand next year, despite his repeated assertions that he is not available for the job. Reading between the lines, one cannot help but feel he is very much open to the job, so long as someone actually begs him to do it. He’s a winner, after all, and he’s already happy to pick the team.
Eddie Jones, the great manipulator, is having the honeymoon of his life, and the homecoming to match.
Comments on RugbyPass
Did footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
34 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
34 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to comments