England only had only half that so selecting inexperienced players meant Lancaster had a disadvantage here from the off.
Advertisement
The Rugby Football Union said on Friday (Saturday NZ Time) the Australian had been appointed coach on a four-year contract starting in December, and he becomes the foreign coach to lead England. The players have to understand that the only reason I am talking to them is to improve them as players. My desire to play for my country has never diminished, despite feeling that since a year ago that whatever I did and however I played, I was never going to make the World Cup squad. I’ve got to pick the right staff. “I have learnt that”.
Jones will meet Chris Robshaw at his Winchester coffee house – “fantastic coffee, best coffee in England”. In fact throughout the tournament Vern Cotter’s men regularly struggled in the first half and played well in the second, scoring indeed four second-half tries against – wait for it – Jones’s Japan.
“You can be a devil one minute and an angel the next”, Jones grinned. He isn’t afraid to upset the status quo or the establishment if he thinks they are getting in the way of the success of the team he is in charge of.
“Whatever values we have, the captain has to live them”. All those stories about Richie McCaw in New Zealand were true. However, whether the two will be able to do what they did with Japan in terms of the training regime is a different matter. He also cleans the changing room after the game.
“But it’s not just one guy, you need a group of players to support him”.
“I’m very, very optimistic that England have got a very good, experienced coach and now time will tell what he wants to do with his coaching staff”.
Ultimately England didn’t perform but his philosophy is that leaders need to be ultimately accountable; “You’ve been given a leadership role so take the responsibility of being a leader and deal with it”.
Jones did not rule out the possibility of bringing in his own backroom staff but insisted he will talk to current members Graham Rowntree, Andy Farrell and Mike Catt before determining their future. Only then will he weigh up their qualities against other contenders before deciding on the best cocktail for his coaching team, which is likely to compromise three assistants, and added specialist coaches.
“I want players who want to play for England and to do that you have to play in the Premiership”. The muddle-headedness against Wales and implosion in the Australia game suggests a number of these England players might find it hard to adapt to a coach described by a few Japan players as “the devil” for the work-rate he demands.
“Firstly my thanks must go to Rob Wagner and everyone at Western Province Rugby for understanding my decision and allowing me to return to the worldwide stage so quickly”, Jones said.
“I also think the captaincy is something that he (Robshaw) can do without at the moment”.
Advertisement
At England however, players are contracted to their clubs, with the national team coach having far less of a say in the contracts and welfare of his players.
