The 'objectionable' All Blacks guru Eddie Jones didn't like but thought was 'a great coach'
Eddie Jones has revealed why he doesn’t like former All Black coach Laurie Mains while paying fulsome tribute to Bob Dwyer, the 1991 World Cup-winning Wallaby legend, who continues to inspire the England head coach.
Jones gave his verdict on some of rugby’s most famous coaches to RFU performance director Conor O’Shea in an episode of “The Eddie Jones Podcast” that will be released tomorrow. While he praises Dwyer and Graham Henry, two men who won the World Cup, he admits that Mains’ argumentative nature made the man who saw his All Blacks team beaten in the 1995 World Cup final by hosts South Africa, hard to like.
Before England shocked New Zealand 19-7 in last year’s Rugby World Cup semi-final in Japan, Mains was quoted saying: “I do expect it will be pretty tough because Eddie Jones – I haven’t always admired the way he’s coached rugby teams – but he’s a clever little bugger and he’ll have a difficult game plan for the All Blacks to counter.”
Jones said: “A bloke I didn’t like but I thought he was a great coach was Laurie Mains. For me quite an argumentative, objectionable guy but the way he coached his teams was brilliant and in 1995 World Cup he had the All Blacks absolutely playing superb rugby. They weren’t good enough in the end in the final.
“I was lucky enough to be coached by Bob Dwyer who won the 1991 World Cup. Hard guy but with a great feel for the game and I always remember as a player in my first year in the Randwick first grade and we went on the bus to Brothers and he sat down next to me and I was as nervous as anything and he said “how do you reckon we will go today?” Just that little bit made me feel if I was important in the team and his ability to find the right thing to say and he was so curious about finding how to do things better. He was outstanding.
“Graham Henry stood the test of time, brilliant with Wales, struggled with the Lions and it took him eight years to win ( the World Cup ) with the All Blacks – he was ahead of the game. He changed his approach massively in the time that he coached. He was an old schoolmaster, a very directed coach and at the end became a much more consultative coach.
Jones also revealed he gives himself an appraisal as England head coach every three months to ensure he is constantly pushing himself to improve. The Australian also challenges his assistant coaches John Mitchell, Simon Amor, Neil Craig, Steve Borthwick ( who leaves in July) and Matt Proudfoot even during the lockdown to make sure they are also looking for ways of helping the beaten 2019 Rugby World Cup finalists become the best team the world has ever seen.
That has been his constant mantra and to achieve that goal Jones relies on self-criticism which he is currently undertaking in Japan before flying back to London in the expectation that sport will be allowed to continue in some form later in the year. The Six Nations championship has yet to be completed while there are serious doubts over England’s tour of Japan and the exact nature of the Autumn test schedule.
As he deals with lockdown in Japan, Jones explained his working life. Jones reveals: “Every three months I write myself my own development plan and I have done that consistently throughout my career.
“I have professional objectives and personal objectives to make sure that I keep growing and keep learning. Our assistant coaches are very similar and are all set tasks of how they can improve themselves. We get them to do a lot of self-reflecting and at the moment they have a lot of time to self-reflect so it is a good time to grow. It is about them understanding what they are good at where they need to improve and coming up with a plan to improve because those plans are only really useful if you drive it yourself.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
50 Go to commentsBar 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.
10 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.
50 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.
3 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
50 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
51 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
50 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.
50 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.
50 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.
50 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 comments