The 29-year-old back row will start with a “clean slate” according to Jones, but the Australian also outlined a clear vision for his skipper.
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As an incidental insight into the mountain of detail Jones already has at his fingertips, he was aware that Chris Robshaw has a coffee business, as he revealed when he was asked if he would treat Lancaster’s captain with sensitivity when he sits down for the chat he intends to have with him. “You have just got to understand what is negotiable in the culture and what is non-negotiable”.
“Those stories about Richie McCaw are true”.
The pair, who first knew each other as forwards with Sydney club side Randwick, now find themselves in charge of two of rugby’s elite tier one nations. You don’t want to take that away. “For that, we need clubs to play good rugby”.
“If we get that right, then we’ll have a strong side”.
His mission is to re-establish England as a rugby powerhouse following their disastrous home World Cup campaign that led to Stuart Lancaster stepping down. I will watch as many games as I can and I am not anxious about what has happened in the past; it is all about the future.
Jones is a coach known for his candour and readiness to give straight answers to questions and more but he was circumspect in his trawl of media interviews on Friday afternoon, not willing yet to make his arguments in public.
Before heading to Los Angeles next week on a World Rugby coaching trip and popping back to see his Japanese wife in Tokyo – “I’ll tell her to pack an overcoat” – he intends seeing England’s existing back-room staff and soon-to-be ex-captain Chris Robshaw. I have been involved with Australia, South Africa and Japan and I think four years is a good period.
Cheika insists Jones, whose extensive coaching CV includes spells with Australia, South Arica and Japan, will prove a wise appointment by England.
Premiership coaches up and down the land must now be scratching their heads and contemplating a path out of the country if they want to break into the Test arena.
Jones, 55, succeeds Stuart Lancaster, who resigned after the tournament, saying “we didn’t achieve success on the field when it mattered, and we all have to take responsibility for that, but me especially”. “I can do that”.
“So while I am excited about the opportunity to coach England I’m very disappointed to be leaving the Stormers”. He said the previous era of Lancaster is “finished” and he will only address any fallout from the World Cup if the players require it.
Jones coached the Wallabies from 2001-05 and took them to the extra-time RWC final in 2003.
“If it was the toughest job in rugby I’d still be in Cape Town”, Jones said.
“If they can offer what I want then they can have the job, if they can’t then I’ll look elsewhere”.
“I can not judge them on what they have done before”.
“I see that as a fundamental part of my job and I’m sure we can do that”. Language is the basis of culture and the big advantage for me is that I speak English, if badly.
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In his role as a guest columnist for the Daily Mail during the World Cup, Jones name-dropped Steffon Armitage – now playing in France – as someone who would bolster England, writing: “Steffon Armitage is pretty hard and handy over the ball and would definitely bring that quality to the England side”.
