COACH JONES’ JIBE TO GATLAND: WALES CAN ENJOY THE PLAY-OFF
▶ Snub comes after counterpart said England had already played their final in win over them
Eddie Jones fired a barb at Warren Gatland for suggesting that England had played their Rugby World Cup final a week early with a stunning victory over champions New Zealand, telling the Wales coach: “enjoy the third and fourth-place playoff.”
Gatland was speaking after Wales had lost their own semi-final 19-16 on Sunday, with South Africa advancing to Saturday’s championship match in Yokohama to face Jones’ England.
Wales, who have fallen at the last-four stage thrice now after similar exits in 2011 and 1987, will face the All Blacks in in the bronze medal match on Friday at the same venue.
The match will be Gatland’s last in charge of Wales, bringing the curtain down on a hugely successful 12-year tenure that has yielded three Grand Slams, three Six Nations and Triple Crowns.
“Well, guys, can you just send my best wishes to Warren to make sure he enjoys the third and fourth place play-off,” Jones said when Gatland’s comments were put to him.
Jones was in charge of Australia that lost to England in the 2003 final and also a part of the Springboks coaching staff that lifted the trophy in 2007.
The England coach, meanwhile, had good news for worried fans by declaring Jonny May is in line to face South Africa on Saturday.
He had been withdrawn with a dead leg in the second half of the 19-7 semi-final win over New Zealand.
The Leicester Tigers winger had been a doubt to face the All Blacks due to an unrelated hamstring injury before being replaced on 45 minutes by Henry Slade with the fresh injury. “We had a walk-through this morning and we had to tell Jonny to slow down a bit,” a smiling Jones said. “He’s probably in a better condition than he was last week at this stage.”
Jones revealed captain Owen Farrell, who also suffered a dead leg in the same match that saw George North take over kicking duties, should also be available to face the Springboks.
“Owen’s a bit sore but he’ll be fine,” Jones said. “We’ve got a few others carrying bumps and bruises because it was a tough old game.”
One player who will not take part is scrum-half Willi Heinz, whose tournament has ended after he suffered a hamstring injury after replacing Ben Youngs in the victory over the All Blacks.
Ben Spencer arrived in Tokyo yesterday as cover for firstchoice Youngs after Jones selected only two specialist No 9s in his 31-man squad for the tournament with the suggestion that fly-half Ford could fill in during an emergency. “It’s tough for Willi, he’s a very wellliked member of the squad and he was in tears in the dressing room,” Jones said.
“But he’s collected himself, he now knows he’s got another role to play for us.
“He works hard for the team, Ben and him have got a really good relationship and even now he’s already started to mentor Ben Spencer. He’s a really great team man.”
Spencer’s three replacement caps amount to just over 20 minutes of Test rugby but Jones said: “Ben has been in and around the squad consistently for the last couple of years so he knows the game, he knows the players. We always said to those guys outside the 31 that they need to be ready, and he is ready to go.”
Australian Jones also ventured that England winning a second Rugby World Cup could help lift the mood of the nation by taking attention away from Brexit. “It’s great. You give the country something to cheer about and with Brexit at the moment they probably need something to cheer about,” Jones said.
“It’s the job of a team to make the country happy and we’ve made the country happy.
“Not as happy as they can be because there is still a game to go as we’ve said.”
Owen’s a bit sore but he’ll be fine. We’ve got a few others carrying bumps and bruises because it was a tough old game EDDIE JONES