Eddie Jones on Evening Standard Rugby Podcast

Link below, or on most other podcast services.

https://shows.acast.com/857d0393-0c58-468c-a8a0-d84100bd6923/6475d57317b38700113db588

Jones had a few interesting points. I've heard a number of commentators saying he isn't certain to name Will Skelton to his World Cup squad, as he likes to ignore popular opinion. In this podcast, Jones said he thought Skelton was the best right hand lock in the world. However, he's constrained by Wallaby selection rules but ultimately hopes to have a free hand. He named five overseas players he'd would like to have, rather than the limit of three.

I always thought the British press overestimated the extent to which Jones aimed to spite everyone with his England selections. While he certainly got selections wrong, he's not the kind of man to undermine his own chance of succeeding, just to get one over on British journalists.

Jones said it took him at least two years to get over losing the Australia job. He says getting older has made it easier to deal with setbacks, so hasn't felt so burdened this time. It no doubt helps that he walked straight into another international coaching post. Dallaglio asked why he stayed in the England job, when he had earlier recognized that he stayed with Australia too long. Jones said he responded to the challenge of rebuilding an England team. Referencing the flow of talent, he did also concede that maybe he wasn't good enough to rebuild the third time.

He was asked what he thought about recent Premiership troubles. He said the league never recovered from Saracens being kicked out, and relegation being suspended. (That's also when his time with England started going boss-eyed).

Jones thinks the World Cup will need different styles of play to win. The pool and quarter finals will be in dry, sunny condition while the business end will be at night, in heavier atmospheres.

Yeah doubt he cares about whether he agreed with Stephen Jones' choices tbf! He'd be mad to leave out Skelton at the moment, he's in brilliant form. Re England he was probably at times just a little to wed to his favourites, and there's so much choice for us that it's noticeable when you get someone plodding and you see your preferred option kicking their heels. I think it was more his tactics which were the bigger issue and seemingly leaning into the boring England routine.

Talking about his admiration for AWJ no doubt.

mikey_dragon wrote:Talking about his admiration for AWJ no doubt.

Yes, he does.

Australia 9/1 to win the WC. I've put a cheeky one on it. They have some cracking players and Eddie will have them flying.

Geordie wrote:Australia 9/1 to win the WC. I've put a cheeky one on it. They have some cracking players and Eddie will have them flying.

It would be a very Eddie thing to do and to be honest would cap a fine coaching career. I'd find it hard to begrudge him that.