Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
‘Eddie had talks over Italian job’
EDDIE JONES held talks with Italy about becoming their coach after next year’s World Cup, it was claimed last night
Italian Rugby Federation president Alfredo Gavazzi says three meetings were held with the England coach over succeeding Conor O’shea, when his contract expires in 2020 – but the talks broke down. “Yes, it’s true. He put himself forward through some friends,” Gavazzi told Il Mattino di Padova newspaper.
“There has been talk of money. It is also true he said we can be among the top eight in the world. But I want to be clear – Eddie Jones will not be the coach after 2020. He proposed a vision and a philosophy different from ours.”
An RFU spokesman last night described the story as “speculation”.
England’s upturn in the autumn has made Jones’s position bulletproof through to the World Cup. The Australian is contracted to 2021, but there will be a review of his position if England fail to reach the World Cup semi-finals.
Meanwhile, Rugby World Cup winner Naka Drotske was shot three times after charging at armed robbers to force them out of his brother’s house in South Africa.
Drotske, whom played for London Irish as well as Cheetahs and Bulls in South Africa was shot in the chest, arm and abdomen but was in a stable condition in hospital after the attempted robbery outside Pretoria.