EDDIE MOANS!
If that’s rugby I’ll retire, blasts England boss
EDDIE JONES slammed Italy’s tactics last night and urged supporters to demand a refund after England were bamboozled in a ‘joke’ of a Test at Twickenham.
Italy exploited a loophole in the laws that restricted England’s passing options — prompting the furious coach to call for World Rugby to intervene.
In a heated exchange, Italy coach Conor O’Shea hit back and demanded that the struggling nation are given more respect and a level platform by referees.
England supporters booed throughout the 36- 15 Six Nations victory, with No 10 George Ford claiming the Azzurri strategy could ‘kill the game’.
‘If that’s rugby, I’m going to retire,’ blasted Jones. ‘That’s not rugby. You should ask for your money back. The whole game became a joke. I’m sure Bill Beaumont (World Rugby chairman) watched that game and will take action.
‘In football they say park the bus. I don’t know what they had, but it was bigger than a bus. We practised for a game of rugby all week and we didn’t get it. I should have had a week doing 10-pin bowling. I don’t think it’s smart rugby.
‘We got five points, they got zero. I’d
rather go home, pick up my stumps, put them in the kit bag and go home.
‘Remember Trevor Chappell? He bowled underarm along the ground so you couldn’t hit the ball for six. We saw a Trevor Chappell game of rugby out there today.’
England trailed at half-time but recovered to secure their 17th consecutive victory. Before the match, Jones ordered his players to take Italy ‘to the cleaners’ and twist the knife in their opponents, whose Six Nations future has been questioned.
‘He wanted 70 and he wanted to take us to the cleaners. Is that respect?’ responded O’Shea (right).
‘I actually loved it when they kicked for goal as that was a bit of respect. If people think we’re just going to lie down and take it, they’re wrong. I’m not here to take a salary for four years and not make a difference. We’ve had enough and we’re going to fight. All I hear is, “Get rid, get rid”. This is an unbelievable rugby nation in trouble and we’re going to have to fight long and hard.
‘I’m sick and tired of people having a pop and having a go. We weren’t just going to fill a pitch and be here like the old gladiators, with the crowd wanting them to score 100. I’m gutted at the scoreline at the end of the game.’
On several occasions at HQ, England’s senior players were locked in confused dialogue with referee Romain Poite about how to counter Italy’s ‘non-ruck’ strategy.
‘I hope it gets addressed before the Scotland game because if teams do that it is going to kill the game quickly,’ said Ford.
‘There’s going to be no rugby played. I don’t think that’s good for the game. You could see the frustrations from the players, fans and coaches.’
O’Shea revealed that Italy’s game plan was inspired by assistant coach Brendan Venter, who had seen it used by Toulouse and Australia.
It split opinion on social media. Some called the tactic a masterstroke but World Cup- winning England scrum-half Matt Dawson labelled it a ‘total farce’.
Using the hashtag ‘#shameonyouConor’, Dawson said on Twitter: ‘Well done Italy on ruining this international. Now World Rugby have to change the laws because of your inability to compete at this level.’ But O’Shea maintained his impassioned defence. ‘ When Australia do it, it is brilliant; when Italy do something it is not allowed,’ said O’Shea. ‘We didn’t just dream this up on Friday night. A lot of planning went into it. If we had said to our players, “Fellas, charge over the trenches again and do the same thing,” we’d get the same result. ‘I remember the great Clive Woodward bringing me over here in 1995 and saying, “Conor, the problem with you guys, in Ireland, is you never think differently”. ‘ Will the law change? Of course it will. But today we were legal and we played to the law. ‘ We took people by surprise. What do they want us to do? Be normal? We can’t be normal. We have to be Italy.’