by ‘A Trevor Chappell Rugby Match’ – February 2017
“If you want to see rugby like that, good luck to you. I don’t want to get involved in those kinds of games. I prefer to go home, collect my stumps, put them in the kit bag and go home. If you think that’s smart, great. I don’t think it’s smart rugby. In football they say park the bus. I don’t know what they had, but it was bigger than a bus.”
“Do you remember Trevor Chappell? Armpit rolled on the floor. Today we watched a Trevor Chappell rugby match. I couldn’t hit the ball for six. We haven’t played a game yet. We haven’t played rugby yet. Congratulations to Italy. I thought they were brilliant in their execution, but if that’s rugby I’m going to retire. That’s not rugby. If you paid your ticket, ask for your money back.February 2017
You no doubt remember him well from Romain Poite’s “I’m the referee, not your coach” talk with perplexed James Haskell and Dylan Hartley.
Italy refused to take part in any ruck, meaning they could sneak around the back of every breakdown to steal the ball because there were no offside lines. England were stumped (they won 36-15) and Jones, as you can see above, was not happy.
Such was the furor that World Rugby in the summer ended up amending the law to clarify when the offside line was created in each ruck.
Unique Tapas – July 2017
With his best England players on the British and Irish Lions tour in New Zealand (17 of Jones’s players were called up in total), it was an opportunity for the England head coach to launch the newcomer on a tour of Argentina. .
Exeter Chiefs scrum-half Jack Maunder was one of those players who was given a chance and was never selected by England again, making this a great time to revisit England-selected players. Jones, who played one game but was never elected. seen again, some due to injury, but largely due to selection.
Ollie Thorley, Josh McNally, Harry Wells, Tommy Taylor, Ben Curry, Jacob Umaga, Trevor Davison, Dan Kelly, George Martin and Will Joseph are the others England have yet to use again.
‘He’s a young guy, and his third choice 10’ – February 2018
“He’s going to have to find guys around him to help him out because he’s going to be under pressure. I imagine when Alun Wyn Jones and the guys go down for breakfast on Saturday morning they’re going to look at him thinking, can this guy handle the pressure today? He’s a great question…great experience for the guy. I hope he has the bottle on Saturday.”
Sexton’s comments were one thing, but Jones turned up the pressure on Rhys Patchell, the Welsh fly half, before the game in the 2018 Six Nations when Jones tried to get inside his head.
Patchell then had to take over goalkeeper-kicking duties after Leigh Halfpenny withdrew and produced a mixed performance in England’s 12–6 win. When asked afterward what he thought of Patchell’s performance, Jones declined to answer. “I don’t train him, mate. ask warren [Gatland]Jones said.
Murrayfield ‘Dirty’ Abuse – February 2018
Of course, it wasn’t a time when Jones was at fault, but after the England head coach was verbally and physically abused by Scottish supporters while traveling from Edinburgh to Manchester following England’s 25-13 defeat in Murrayfield, he vowed never to travel on public transport again.
“We have played 23 Tests and only lost one Test against the filthy Irish. I’m still dirty from that game, but we’ll get it back, don’t worry.”
‘Welsh. Who knows Wales, it’s this little shitty place’ – March 2018
“That has three million people. Three million! Looking back, the 2018 Six Nations really was an uplifting moment for Eddie. England finished fifth after two wins and the tournament was seen as a disaster.
But Jones was also going around apologizing after a video of him speaking at a dinner party was leaked to the media, describing Ireland as “rubbish” while bemoaning the fact that England had lost 13-9 in Dublin to stay out at a Grand Slam in 2017, and he described Wales as “this little shitty place”.
Jones later apologized in a statement. “I apologize unreservedly for any offense caused. There are no excuses and I shouldn’t have said what I did. I’m so sorry.”
The Lozowski treatment – November 2018
As Charles Richardson coined on the Telegraph Rugby Podcast this autumn, Alex Lozowski was another Jones pick who was substituted early, in his case at half time, never to be seen in an England shirt again.
The Saracens playmaker has had an excellent career at the club but was substituted at half time of England’s win over Japan with the team struggling. The impact of that move still reverberated ahead of England’s game against Japan this autumn, with players making reference to how they had to act in the build-up.
“I think someone is going to roast part of his nose. I think someone found some.”
“The ‘Kamikaze Kids’ rip and tear, without concern for their bodies, and lead the way in our defensive efforts.”
