Eddie Jones is the first foreigner to take on the role, and most England fans, along with myself, would have liked to have seen an English head coach taking charge of their home nation – just as Eddie did in the 2003 World Cup final, when his Australian side lost to England.
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“England have won two of the last three Under-20s World Cups so there’s great talent out there”, said Jones, whose contract runs to the 2019 World Cup in Japan.
Fast Eddie Jones has only been in the job a matter of hours before putting the boot into the world champion All Blacks.
But yesterday he said: ‘I was a newspaper columnist – I was being a bit naughty. I have to sit down with Chris. Everyone is starting on zero.
“Eddie Jones has got to sort out his backroom staff. That is absolutely vital and there can be no compromise – they have to be who he wants”, said Barnes on Sky Sports News headquarters. I know Andy Farrell well, I coached him at Saracens.
The idea is by no means a bad one, but fails to consider the financial hit coaches would take by leaving British shores.
“I will be 59 by the next World Cup and I will be watching cricket in Barbados”.
In truth, though, Jones’s initial winning over of the media is superficial and meaningless. The one-liners soon had the audience onside.
RFU chief executive Ian Ritchie said Jones’ experience made him the right man for the job.
However, the 55-year-old will first ensure there is an Englishman among his assistants who has been groomed to take over after Japan 2019.
Another thorny issue that immediately reared its head was the RFU edict against the selection of players based overseas.
But in an interview published with the ESPN scrum.com website, Jones said: “How can you manage your players when they are controlled by other organisations?”
Wise-cracking Jones said: “If Cipriani is good enough to be in the 30 he will be in the 30”.
This is a hot-potato subject on the basis of Steffon Armitage’s eye-catching exploits for Toulon. I see it as a four-year project and I think global coaching, I have been involved with three teams, and I think four years is a good period.
He set out a simple blueprint.
“I hope to build a new team that will reflect the talent that exists within the English game”.
“He’s going to be fighting with the RFU and he’s going to be fighting with the clubs to get his way”. For me, it’s a great opportunity to coach these players. “I need their point of view on which of their players are worthy of playing global rugby”.
Barbarians left wing Nemani Nadolo went a step further, with the giant Fijian, who at 6ft 4in and almost 20 stone has a physique to rival that of Lomu, wearing a white No 11 on the back of his shirt rather than having his number printed in traditional Baa Baas black.
“We will be clear on what we want in the team, how we want to behave and how we want to play”.
“I want players who want to play for England and to play for England you have to play in the Premiership, and the Premiership is a strong competition.
For the national team to do well we need the Premiership clubs to play good rugby”.
“When we got down to pitch level it seemed as if everyone was crying”.
Jones is due to attend a World Rugby event in Los Angeles next week, then head back to Japan before returning to England to start work on December 1.
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While he does not have the stature of Martin Johnson, in the aftermath of the 2011 World Cup, Robshaw quickly became the face of a more likeable and less arrogant England.
