Roll up, roll up for the mesmerising Eddie Jones Show

Eddie Jones bounds through the door, surveying the occupants with shiny eyes and a beaming smile. Welcome to the Eddie Jones Show. We’re at the England squad’s hotel, which sits on the edge of Disneyland in Tokyo Bay, and given the bizarre statements the coach has made about secret cameras and spies in recent days, some might say it’s an appropriate backdrop.

There are few characters like Jones at this World Cup in Japan.

Zany, unpredictable, serious. He can be all of that, and more. Sometimes, when you listen and read his quotes, you wonder if he’s plain bonkers. He’s not, though. It’s just part of the act.

Jones is one of the best rugby coaches on the planet. Maybe he wants people to underestimate him.

Having released his team to play the All Blacks, Jones fronts the media to explain his methods. Photographers and cameramen fire-up their equipment, reporters scuttle to the top desk to plonk down their microphones. No-one wants to miss a word. If Jones, 59, was feeling the pressure ahead of the blockbuster game at Yokohama Stadium he did a decent job of masking his emotions.

Some rugby coaches glance at the long line of TV cameras, and the rows of reporters, and almost turn to stone.

Not this bloke. Straight away he’s into his work.

The questions fly thick and fast. A radio type says former England representative Steve Thompson told his station in the UK that George Ford, Jones’ surprise choice at first fiveeighth, could be a liability in defence.

Some coaches might have responded with a death stare, or a sarcastic remark. Jones, does neither. He bats it away, taking the mickey out of the interrogator.

Jones can also be serious. He talks about how dangerous the All Blacks can be off turnovers, about how good their ‘‘transition’’ game can be and there’s a harder edge to his voice when he explains why his players need to be ‘‘alive all the time’’.

‘‘Because they [the All Blacks] are always in the game, always looking for opportunities. Our players are equipped for that, ready to go and can’t wait for it, mate.’’

This week All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has been bombarded with questions about pressure.

The All Blacks, say some in the UK media, must be nearly crippled with the thought of trying to win the Webb Ellis Cup for a third consecutive time.

Hansen wasn’t fazed. He said that is part of the deal when you’re involved with the All Blacks.

Jones made light of the question. Usually press conferences are only stacked with so many reporters because a player is in trouble, he said. More laughter. More banter.

Anyone who doesn’t know about Jones might think this comedy routine must mean life is heaven inside the England camp.

Not by a long shot. He is intense, driven and extremely competitive. Add ruthless to that list. Jones has turned over a number of staff members in the pursuit of excellence.

Some have said his desire to be a winner makes him very difficult to work with. Unlike Hansen, Jones has never won a World Cup.

With the press conference finished, the Rumplestiltskin-like character leaves the room for his next round of interviews next door.

He’s got more work to do. There’s a few more episodes left in the Eddie Jones Show.