I WON’T BRACK DOWN
Under-fire Jones brushes off calls to be sacked and vows to get Red Roses back on track for Scotland after Paris mauling
EDDIE JONES insists he won’t bow to the boo boys and those calling for his head – as it would mean changing a habit of a lifetime.
Two games after reaching a World Cup Final with one of England’s all-time great performances, Jones has been hammered for his part in Sunday’s failed French test (below).
World Cup-winner Kyran Bracken called for him to be sacked and replaced by an English coach – as “it’s all soundbites with Jones”.
Matt Dawson, one of Bracken’s team-mates in the triumphant 2003 squad, condemned foolish pre-match comments which France were only too happy to confirm had fuelled their fire.
And Sir Clive Woodward weighed in, blasting Jones’ “media hype” which England’s
World Cup-winning coach said was “nonsense and making them all look rather stupid”.
Jones responded yesterday by again making himself available to the press – and could not resist labelling Saturday’s opponents Scotland “niggly”.
But rather than launch a counter-offensive at his critics he chose to ignore them.
“When I first started coaching, a very famous coach said to me that if you listen to the fans you end up in the grandstand with them,” said the Australian.
“That’s always been my philosophy.
“Kyran is entitled to his own opinion and I’m sure it’s a very good opinion. He might have a point; it should be an English coach!”
Jones has advised his players to follow suit and also turn a deaf ear to the “poison” that can come
WALES will roll into Dublin this weekend well aware they have not triumphed in the Irish capital since 2012.
Wales secured the Grand Slam last season with a their way following a defeat. He told BBC Sport: “Noise is always a factor and more and more so today with social media – it is in the players’ faces.
“They like social media, they want to be a part of social media and when it turns like this, it is difficult for them.
“We have to make sure they keep their focus.
“They have to understand what is important.
“There will always be criticism, there will always be praise, we just try and minimise the 25-7 win over the men in green in Cardiff – and launched their title defence with a 42-0 hammering of Italy on Saturday.
And back row Ross Moriarty (left) says the poison they take in.” Scotland prop Allan Dell expects an angry England to arrive at Murrayfield but reckons Jones will choose his words more carefully this week.
“I don’t think he did his players much justice throwing them out there to that,” said Dell.
“They’re a team full of pride with players who have achieved a lot, so they’ll be hurting.
“They’re coming here to make a statement having not beat us for two years.
“Eddie will be in their ears. He’s a smart man and he will be hyping them up the right way.
“Look at football and how Jose Mourinho used to do it. He takes the focus away from his team and he lets the media get on to him.
“That’s fantastic to do but sometimes it backfires.”
It most certainly did so in Paris. Neither Jones nor England can afford a repeat. players are happy with the changes new head coach Wayne Pivac has made.
He said: “We have all just taken them in our stride. That’s the best way to be. We have started a new chapter and don’t look too far back at past games.
“We have got some new coaches and a few new philosophies, so we are just concentrating on ourselves in the now.”