Jones inspired by manhunt for bin Laden
Eddie Jones will take inspiration from the manhunt of Osama bin Laden as he hopes to equip England for the ‘‘most volatile rugby environment we have ever seen’’.
Jones recently spent ‘‘a fascinating couple of days’’ with the Navy Seals in San Diego to glean a better understanding of helping players ‘‘to cope with the unexpected’’ as cards, head injury assessments and distinct refereeing interpretations influence every match.
A year out from the World Cup, the landscape has reinforced his long-held belief that adaptability will be crucial at the tournament. Jones used Operation Neptune Spear, which was carried out by the Navy Seals in 2011 despite a helicopter crash landing, as an analogy for England’s preparations.
‘‘You know the Osama thing, they practised that whole project for 12 months for 38 minutes of work,’’ Jones said.
‘‘And the first thing they did was wrong. The helicopter hit the wall [of the Bin Laden compound]. They had 12 months to prepare, went through it religiously and they still got something wrong, but then they were able to cope with it and get it done within 38 minutes.
‘‘You look at the analogy between us now. Twelve months to the World Cup, we’re playing for a game that’s got 35 minutes of ball in play, so the ability to dress-rehearse, prepare the players for what’s coming up, whether it’s the first round, second round, third round, whatever it is, that is the opportunity going forward. Exciting, isn’t it?’’
Continuing parallels with the Navy Seals, Jones said England would be staging their own ‘‘mini hell-week’’ in the form of a Jersey ‘‘misogi’’ ahead of the autumn internationals against Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa.
He cited New Zealand’s 39-37 win over the Wallabies in Melbourne, when the visitors lost David Havili, Quinn Tupaea and Sam Cane before halftime, as an example of the chaos that can descend in the heat of a test match.