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'He has been so good for me': Beauden Barrett lapping up recent advice from England boss Eddie Jones

By AAP
(Photo by Michael Bradley/AFP via Getty Images)

Eddie Jones has received the backing of one of rugby’s biggest superstars – two-time world player of the year Beauden Barrett – after escaping the sack as England coach at the end of a disastrous Six Nations campaign. The New Zealander agreed that Jones remains the best man to lead England out of the doldrums. Barrett has benefited from the former Wallabies coach’s holiday stint advising Suntory Sungoliath in the Japanese Top League.

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Jones, who has been a consultant for Suntory for almost 20 years, is using annual leave for his latest trip to Japan, and star fly-half Barrett is hanging off his every word. “He’s more in the background dealing with the coaches a lot but certainly when he does offer advice to the players, it’s really good advice,” Barrett said on a call from Tokyo on the latest edition of The Breakdown.

“It’s nice to hear from someone who is not there on a daily (basis), who is outside looking over the top of things, and it is good information that he gives. With my dealings, he has been so good for me. When he does have something to tell me, they are like little pieces of gold. His understanding of the game is exceptional.”

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Beauden Barrett on Eddie Jones and his rugby knowledge

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Beauden Barrett on Eddie Jones and his rugby knowledge

The All Blacks playmaker has no doubt Jones can return England to its former position as one of the game’s superpowers. “They have got the talent there. I’m sure they will work it out,” he said. “They figured it out against us in the (2019 World Cup) semi-final. I guess he has copped a bit at the moment but I’m confident he will turn things around there.”

The RFU last week said Jones retained the union’s full support following a full review of England’s worst finish in 45 years. That was despite chief executive Bill Sweeney previously refusing to rule out activating a break clause in the Australian’s contract.

The RFU allowed Jones’ trip to Japan but is demanding England’s results improve after stopping short of backing him through to the 2023 World Cup in France. The review revealed that overall feedback from the players was positive but insisted that the fifth-place Six Nations finish was well below expectations. “We were all disappointed to finish fifth in the Six Nations,” Sweeney said. “Our track record and results under Eddie meant that we, the players and our fans had much higher expectations.

“Sport is all about fine margins which is why every campaign debrief is invaluable in helping us to learn and improve. Eddie approached this review with a great deal of self-awareness and humility, allowing us to look at every aspect of the tournament to identify every small change we can make in order to improve.”

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Trevor 1 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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Bull Shark 5 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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