Jones insists England embrace drama of training spy claims
ENGLAND have wished New Zealand “good luck” after suggesting they have spied on one of Eddie Jones’s training sessions.
Jones was overseeing an important team run ahead of Saturday’s World Cup semi-final when an unidentified cameraman was spotted in one of the residential buildings overlooking the pitch.
England, who have Prince Harry’s former close protection officers as part of their security detail, investigated the scene at their Tokyo training base after seeing a suspicious red light.
Defence coach John Mitchell pointed the finger at New Zealand but sees little value on spying on the opposition.
“If that is what they want to do, and that is the way they want to prepare, good luck to them,” the former All Blacks coach said.
“We just happened to be training where there are apartments above our tiny two-metre fence was, so I am not sure about what the use of the tarpaulins are.
“The facilities have been excellent but it’s an area where people live and there is the odd red light around. There was one up in the corner, which was a bit suspicious.
“It doesn’t really worry me. This game is so dynamic now so I don’t see any advantage in spying on a team.
“When I took over the All Blacks in 2001 we had a manager who was highly military and he loved surveying the whole area.
“To me, you can get too involved in it and create an anxiety on your group. There is enough pressure at this level without chasing around some blokes that might be in a building with a camera.
“I was with Sir Clive Woodward when we were going for a grand slam against Scotland and we chased somebody from one of the papers around the corner and caught him in a hedge.
“He was pretty unlucky actually but that was when the game was a lot different to what it is now.
“I’ve seen coaches spy, I’ve had other coaches spy. I’ve had mates spy as well and it is, but I don’t see any advantage.”
Jones shrugged off the incident as the biggest match of his four-year reign looms.
“There was definitely someone in the apartment block filming, but it might have been a Japanese fan. We don’t care, mate,” Jones said.
“We knew about it from the start, it doesn’t change anything. We love it.”
The All Blacks are reigning world champions and are determined to lift the Webb Ellis Trophy for a third successive time, placing them on a pedestal that Jones believes could crumble.
“New Zealand talk about walking towards pressure, well this week the pressure is going to be chasing them down the street. That’s the reality of it, that’s how we’re approaching it,” he said. “We don’t have any pressure. Put up your hand if you think we can win [no-one puts their hand up]. There you go, so no-one. No-one thinks we can win.
“So there’s no pressure on us. We’ve just got to have a great week, enjoy it, relax, train hard and enjoy this great opportunity we’ve got, whereas they’ve got to be thinking about how they’re looking for their third World Cup.
“I don’t think they are vulnerable but pressure is a real thing. The busiest bloke in Tokyo this week will be Gilbert Enoke, their mental skills coach.
“They have to deal with all this pressure of winning the World Cup three times and it is potentially the last game for their greatest coach and their greatest captain and they will be thinking about those things. Those thoughts go through your head. It is always harder to defend a World Cup.
“We’ve got nothing to lose, that’s the exciting thing for us. We can just go out there and play our game. If we’re good enough we’ll win, if we’re not good enough we’ve done our best.”
REFEREE Jaco Peyper was not considered for a World Cup semi-final appointment after an “inappropriate” picture of him with Welsh fans appeared on social media.
World Rugby investigated the circumstances around South African official Peyper appearing to mock the elbow to the head that earned France lock Sebastien Vahaamahina a red card against quarter-final opponents Wales on Sunday.
Peyper sent Vahaamahina off for striking Wales flanker Aaron Wainwright in the face.
A photograph then emerged on social media showing him posing with Welsh fans and playfully landing an elbow on to the head of one.
In a statement, the governing body said: “World Rugby can confirm the match officials selection committee did not consider Jaco Peyper for selection this weekend.
“Peyper recognises that a picture of him with Wales fans, which appeared on social media after the Wales versus France quarter-final, was inappropriate and he has apologised.”
Peyper could only have been in contention for a role in the England versus New Zealand semi-final, as South Africa are playing Wales in the other game.
Welshman Nigel Owens will take charge of England against the All Blacks, with France’s Jerome Garces officiating Wales versus South Africa.
French pair Romain Poite and Pascal Gauzere will be assistant referees in the England match, with England’s Wayne Barnes and New Zealander Ben O’Keeffe filling those roles for the other tie.
SCOTLAND’s hopes of automatic qualification for next year’s T20 World Cup were dealt a crushing blow yesterday when they crashed to defeat against Namibia at the ICC Academy, Dubai.
Having recovered from an opening-day loss to Singapore with wins against Kenya and Papua New Guinea, the Scots had little margin for error in their bid to finish top of their seven-team group.
But, after yesterday’s 24-run loss, it looks certain they will be forced to go through the nerve-jangling play-offs to claim one of the remaining four places available at the global tournament in Australia.
Needing 160 for victory, the Scots suffered the worst possible start when Craig Wallace, deputising for skipper Kyle Coetzer, was out in the first over.
Coetzer was still suffering the effects of dehydration following his match-winning half-century against PNG 24 hours earlier and the absence of the free-scoring opener was a big blow.
Worse followed when big-hitting George Munsey was run out for 11 before Calum MacLeod and stand-in captain Richie Berrington offered a glimmer of hope with a partnership of 48.
However, neither of the experienced duo could dominate a lively bowling attack who always held the upper-hand.
Berrington was out for 23 from one delivery more and MacLeod went on to top-score with 39 but had little support from the middle and lower order, at one stage four wickets falling for just 13 runs in three overs.
There was some spirited late hitting from Josh Davey and Safyaan Sharif but it was too little, too late as they closed on 135-8.
Namibia, having earlier elected to bat, looked anything but a side low on morale following back-to-back defeats as they recovered from the loss of three early wickets to post a challenging 159-6.
Davey, fresh from his last-over heroics against PNG, made the breakthrough when he had Stephen Baard caught by Mark Watt.
Watt himself got in on the act when he trapped JP Kotze lbw while Hamza Tahir removed the dangerous Niko Davin for 23 to have the Namibians struggling on 46-3.
However, Scotland were frustrated by the experienced
Craig Williams who shared partnerships of 49 with Gerhard Erasmus and 52 with JJ Smit.
Williams, who contributed a valuable 31, was content to let his partners have the bulk of the strike, Erasmus hitting 37 from 26 balls while Smit was even more punishing, top-scoring with a 22-ball 43.
His effort included four big sixes as the Scottish bowlers toiled. Tahir was the most economical with 1-18 while Davey claimed 2-29.
Scotland will bid to bounce back when they take on Bermuda tomorrow.
Elsewhere, England’s thrilling World Cup final victory over
New Zealand will be consigned to the history books as the two sides prepare to meet in a Twenty20 series down under, insists new head coach Chris Silverwood.
Hosts England beat the Black Caps on the boundary count-back rule after even a Super Over failed to separate the two teams at Lord’s in July.
It was the first time England have tasted 50-over World Cup success and the limited-overs side is now in New Zealand preparing for a fivematch T20 tournament.
“I’m sure there will be a few conversations but we are here to focus on the series in front of us,” Silverwood said when asked if the World Cup would be a talking point.
“We have moved on now. Obviously, it was a fantastic game of cricket to be involved in at any level really, it was a real delight of an experience but we have got to move on.”