Intriguing insight into a gigantic rugby character
BRILLIANT, honest, combative - Eddie Jones is a gigantic yet enigmatic figure in world rugby and a true legend of the game. In My Life and Rugby, he tells his story for the first time, including the full inside story of England’s 2019 World Cup campaign.
Eddie Jones is one of the most experienced and decorated coaches in world rugby.
His career has spanned four World Cups from the 2003 final, working with South Africa when they won in 2007, and causing the greatest upset in the history of the game in 2015 when he masterminded the Japanese victory over South Africa.
Most recently he led England on their incredible run at the 2019 World Cup, culminating in a stunning victory against the All Blacks before falling to South Africa in the final.
Since taking over as head coach of England in 2015, Eddie Jones has orchestrated a complete revival of the national team. He has won the Six Nations Championship back to back, including England’s first Grand Slam in a generation and their first ever whitewash of Australia in their own backyard, as well as taking them on their longest ever winning streaks, matching the world record held by the All Blacks.
Learning from the extreme highs and lows of his own playing career, including the numerous successes playing for Randwick and New South Wales but also the painful disappointment of never playing for Australia, he shows what it takes to be the best in the world and how everything he has learned about the game, both on and off the pitch, has gone into plotting England’s route to the top of world rugby.
For the most part a brilliant autobiography, ghostwritten by Donald McRae, a lot of rugby action comes secondary to Jones’ account of life growing up as a son of an immigrant in Australia, and the racism and xenophobia he dealt with.
He is very open about his anguish, the impact of sackings on him and his family. The passages about coaching Japan in particular are really enjoyable.
It is no surprise that Jones took England from World Cup humiliation in 2015 to the brink of glory in Japan this year. Eternally throughout his craft and his sport there is a fascinating final chapter, and pretty impressive piece of speedy publication, about the World Cup and Jones admits that he got the selection for the final wrong.
The England coach has admitted he should have started Joe Marler instead of Mako Vunipola at loosehead prop in the final. England who were chasing a second title were defeated 32-12 by south Africa in Yokohama and Jones said he was left to rue his decisions.
‘I accept that I made two selection mistakes for the final,’ Jones writes in his autobiography. ‘I should have chosen Joe Marler ahead of Mako Vunipola at loosehead prop and reverted to the Owen Farrell-Manu Tuilagi-Henry Slade midfield we used against Australia. George Ford could have come off the bench when we had got into the game. But you never know until the game starts. You use the best available evidence and rely on your gut.’
Jones said the big challenge he faced before the final was dealing with the praise that came his players’ way after the New Zealand victory. There’s also the psychological challenge after the kind of big win they achieved against the All Blacks.
For the most part a brilliant autobiography, ghostwritten by Donald McRae.
BRENDAN FURLONG
Visit The Book Centre on Wexford’s Main Street for the very best selection of sports books.