All Blacks are on Prime time

NEW ZEALAND have tightened their relationship with Amazon Prime, who have been mooted as future rugby broadcasters. The voice-activated Alexa technology, which enables you to ask basic questions through a smart speaker, now has tailored answers for anything All Blacks-related. ÷ IN JAPAN, Eddie Jones is a commercial phenomenon. After coaching the Brave Blossoms to their famous win over South Africa in 2015, he has capitalised with a range of endorsements. Jones is a brand ambassador for a company selling bags, he is on posters advertising gin and fronts a campaign to promote Sapporo. He still works as a consultant for Suntory Sungoliath, who he coached from 2009-2012. The RFU have stated they are comfortable with his commercial activities. ENgLAND’s players and staff may need earplugs if they are hoping for early nights this weekend. Their hotel in sapporo is hosting an ‘autumn beer festival’ for fans to coincide with the start of the World Cup in Tokyo and the two matches in this city — Australia v Fiji tomorrow and England v Tonga on sunday. A lounge area will host the festivities, but the good news for the squad is that last orders are at 10.30pm, with the event due to end at 11pm. ÷ EARLY FaceTime calls are not helping Keith Earls’ children on the school run. Japan is eight hours ahead of Ireland and the winger has been calling his wife and three daughters at the crack of dawn. ‘I keep ruining the morning routine when she’s trying to get them ready for school and I’m there looking to have the chats,’ he said. ‘We’re fathers, we’re sons, we’re brothers. It can be tough being away but we’re well able to look after ourselves and have the craic as well.’