'I often joke Eddie would have a game plan for Kazakhstan if they were playing tomorrow'
George Gregan is backing his former Australia coach Eddie Jones to be the character to keep a watch on at the 2019 World Cup.
The pair worked together at the 2003 finals, Jones guiding a Wallabies side that featured Gregan at scrum-half to a final they lost to England in extra-time.
Sixteen years later, Jones is preparing England for the finals in Japan and Gregan believes his former coach will have everything ready despite his side’s poor finish to the Six Nations where they were threw away leads and were beaten by Wales and drew with Scotland.
“I have been watching Eddie Jones and his English squad with a close eye, particularly in the Six Nations and over the last few years,” said Gregan, speaking as a Land Rover ambassador.
“He came to Australia and beat the Wallabies at home in 2016, which is an outstanding effort at the end of a long season. And they have really impressed me in the last 12 to 15 months in their ability to score a lot of points, so the attacking part of their squad has really improved is is led really well by (Owen) Farrell and (Billy Vunipola). When they’re fit they are the big leaders within the English squad.
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“Everyone understands what they are doing. They have adapted their game, they scored a lot of points against South Africa in South Africa. There is always stuff to work on and Eddie Jones will be working on it and that’s closing out games, finishing it off, being in a position to put teams away.
“They should have beaten the All Blacks last year and I thought they showed some outstanding form. What he will be working on is just fine turning those areas, making those adjustments, encouraging his leaders to step-up and take the reins of his team.
“He really does encourage his leaders to drive the team, and he will have tricks up his sleeve. He’s the sort of guy who would have been planning for this World Cup. Like a lot of coaches he will have game plans, he will have strategies, he will be working on some subtle changes which no one has seen.
“Those are the things you add to a World Cup squad which give you confidence and he is definitely one of those meticulous planners. He’s always thinking ahead, has a good grasp of whoever he is playing, I often joke he would have a game plan for Kazakhstan if they were playing tomorrow.
“Eddie Jones’ comments about the English team requiring an increase in their mental strength, particularly after the hangover of 2015, is really, really important and sage advice. The only way you get better at that is by putting yourselves in those positions and learning from those mistakes you made previously.
“A good example was Scotland just recently. They were up 31 points to nil and then they had to score right at the death to make it a 38-38 draw. You wouldn’t have picked them to be in a position where they are having to score in the last play of the game to draw the match.
A great day of Grassroots Rugby in Sapporo Japan with ??@g_leitch? @LandRoverAus? ?@LandRoverJPN? @LandRoverRugby??@rugbyworldcup? pic.twitter.com/Y3NtoElHcs
— George Gregan (@GeorgeGregan) April 9, 2019
“They are the lessons you learn. Why did it occur? What do we need to do to fix it? As I said earlier, they have started some Test matches really well, they have had really good first halves against the Springboks in South Africa and then they lost those Test matches by a narrow margin.
“There’s something that needs to be changed and fixed, and they will be working on that. A lot of that is driven by the playing group. A lot of it has to be through being pretty honest with each other as well and talk about it, then take steps in the right direction and look forward to putting yourself under pressure because that’s professional sport.”
Gregan was Australia’s captain in 2003 and he believes Farrell would be Jones’ best pick for this role in Japan now that Dylan Hartley has fallen by the wayside with injury. “Owen Farrell and the captaincy and being under pressure all goes hand-in-hand. He responds really well. He is a wonderful player. You saw what he did on the British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand a couple of years ago – I thought he was outstanding and a big part of why that was a drawn series.
“He will respond and thrive. I always think it is a bit dangerous putting a player such as him in cotton wool because they want match play, they want to be stretched, they want to be put under a bit of pressure.
“If they don’t have any major injuries, or not managing an injury, then there is nothing better than the confidence of playing inside the arena and getting that match hardness, and just getting those reps under your belt, particularly when it comes to decision making.
“He is a real key player in that team for that reason and the best way to lead your team is by playing. You go back to 2003. England. Before they won they came to Australia and had their best players. They were hardened and prepared for all conditions, so there is a lot to be gained by playing.”
WATCH: Part one of Operation Jaypan, the RugbyPass documentary that tours Japan ahead of the 2019 finals
Comments on RugbyPass
I knew who wrote this article from the first few words in the headline…lol. The red card actually did the ABs a favour. It galvanized them, only then did they step up a gear. Before that there was zero momentum.
103 Go to commentsFirstly the foul on Bongi was a planned move just like the NZ master plan with Bryce Lawrence you kiwis are filthy fux perhaps try to play a cleaner game next time I doubt that’s possible tho but don’t worry world rugby is on yr side they trying to take away all the BOKS strengths to help all you weakling as Jeremy Clarkson would say LA OO ZA ERR..🤣
103 Go to commentsAbsolutely spot on Ben. I certainly wouldn't gloat over a win like that. Frustrating as it is it's done and dusted and history will forever show the result.
103 Go to commentsHo hum.
103 Go to commentsNo question they were the better team. But that is the beauty of sport isn’t it!
103 Go to commentsEveryone is into Hurling in Ireland according to Porter, but only 11 of Ireland's 32 counties enter a team into the national competition. Same old blarney.
1 Go to commentsLet’s be honest. The draw and scheduling in the World Cup was a joke but South Africa found a way after having to go the hard (nearly impossible) way to the Cup Final via France and England. NZ had a hard game against France (lost) and had 5 weeks to prepare for the Quarter, 3 weeks knowing it was Ireland. NZ theerfore had to win one big game against an Irish team who played SA and then Scotland 7 days before. They won and it was de facto a semi final because they were playing a relatively weak Argentina team and it was a walk over. In the final a very rested NZ team was playing a very tired SA team and still lost. They couldn’t score more than 11 points. Put another way SA had to find a way to win while tired and they achieved that. NZ should thank their lucky stars that they fixed the scheduling in 2015 otherwise they would be dealing with a Bok treble.
103 Go to commentsPerhaps if Bongi wasn’t targeted and removed from the game in the first 3 minutes it would have been quite a different game. Maybe if NZ also faced the same competition the Boks faced to their win NZ would have looked quite different. The final score shows who outplayed who.
103 Go to commentsRubbish article! Abuladze played most of Exeters matches when fit. He got injured against Glasgow a while ago and is out for the rest of the season, thats why he hasnt played for Exeter and Georgia recently. Do some proper research next time!
1 Go to commentsGotta love it when kids throw their toys out the pram and can’t hack it with the grown ups debate. Here’s looking at you turlough! 😉🤣
148 Go to commentsThey lost the game period move on
103 Go to commentsSpringboks won! Stop winging. You can change the game however much you and your rugby colonizing IRB want to and the Springboks will win you at that too. Your mind is colonized my friend get a life
103 Go to commentsBen, nobody gets fooled anymore by selective and biased data to support an hypothesis. Games are decided on such small margins these days that you win some and lose some, and dominance is a thing of the rugby past. Look at the RWC circle of fortune…. Ireland beats SA who beat France who beat NZ who beat Ireland. And so it goes on. Match officials help to eliminate real indiscretions. If they had been with us years before, no doubt results would have been different. Remember Andy Haden’s dive from a lineout in 1978 for which a match-wining penalty was awarded? Wales should have beaten the ABs that day. They took the loss like the gentlemen they were.
103 Go to commentsWith all the analysis and how good the all blacks were.The fundamental mistake with the ABs is that this is a test match and not an exhibition.There is no better team(country) in world rugby than the Boks that knows how to win a test match(we are post masters at this).We know our rules, we have the discipline, we tackle like beasts, we take our points and we never give up.I now have educated the ABs supporters(at least say thank you).Please stop “bitching” , accept what the outcome is and move along swiftly.
103 Go to commentsAnd they came from behind to win two big games before the final. No one can say what would have happened. Had the boks gone behind the game plan changes and the result may changes. Ifs and ands are irrelevant. The boks won. Neutral critics enjoyed the games they played. Its not a popularity contest. Get over it and move on.
103 Go to commentsI'm happy for the people of SA to get a second WC. And I mean that. I was very disappointed with this man's “stand on the hand” incident with Josh Van Der Flyer (Ireland). Ireland's downfall in the last WC was they did not rotate their first 15 as the head coach probably should have. That said, I'm happy for SA and genuinely hope it lifts the mood in their country. Ireland did beat them in the first match of the tournament. And before the trolls start trolling ….. please don't bother. Etzbeth said recently that the Irish players said after the match “see you in the final”…..this was actually wishing the SA team the best of luck in the rest, the Irish team were not dismissing the AB’s. This is what Etzbeth was implying. But he was wrong. I no longer live in Ireland. But I hope to see them lift that cup before I pass. Anyway, congratulations SA. 👍
12 Go to commentsMore bloody click bait. Dan Carter has said absolutely nothing. As he should do. Poor journalism again from a site that should know better
9 Go to commentsOh god please help these loosers get over it!!!! You lost. Doesn't matter how many times you dummies are gonna analyse the game, you still lost and we are still Rygby World Champions….get over it, you lost.
103 Go to commentsThe next Willie le Roux. SA are made not to use him.
3 Go to commentsDan has always been as controversial as tea with milk so we were never going to get any definitive answer. So DMac for the win.
9 Go to comments