Dictator? Not me insists Jones
EDDIE Jones has denied accusations he runs a Twickenham dictatorship as England ramp up their preparations for next weekend’s Six Nations showdown with Wales in Cardiff.
Former full-back Mike Brown launched a volley at Jones last week saying players were running scared of the boss.
In a hard-hitting newspaper column, 72-capper Brown claimed squad members were afraid to challenge Jones and cited Alex Goode and Danny Care as two who had their Test careers cut short after fronting up to the Australian.
But Jones insists he is open to players having a say and hands the team over to the squad two days before game day.
Jones said: “There is a forum for players to speak up. It would be hard for me to say we have a dictatorial situation which is what Mike Brown is alluding to.
“We have shared responsibility and do not hide away from that. I will give them a direction but ultimately the players decide the direction we go in.
“When I first started coaching, the coach directed everything. It has changed a lot. When I started coaching professionally, everything was led by the players. At the Brumbies and the Australian national team the players were very strong.”
Jones cut his coaching teeth at Randwick in Australia before hitting the big time with the Brumbies and the Wallabies via a stint in Japan.
On the way he looked over players such as George Gregan, John Eales and Joe Roff, who won Rugby World Cups.
Jones added: “They were educated men, studied at university and most had worked. It was a very robust environment.
“It became very coach-directed for the next 15 years; players had missed those life experiences and were happy for the coach to be in charge.
“As the game has got more difficult and there is far more decision-making there is a strong move towards going back to more shared responsibility. Players are better educated that way because they are starting at a lower level with their clubs and have responsibility there.”
The Principality Stadium will be empty on Saturday and Jones said: “Owen Farrell and his leaders have to find the right arousal level for the team. Most players enjoy a hostile crowd because it is the challenge of beating the odds.
“We have to find the right mixture of being at our aroused best but being in control. We were over-aroused in 2019 (lost 21-13). We did not cope well. It is about the right balance.
Jones also aimed a dig at World Rugby when asked about the new laws being trialled in Super Rugby this season.
“New Zealand dictate what laws we have, all about making the game faster and more unstructured like Super Rugby.
“We are trying to get in front of the wave. English rugby generally is fairly organised and structured, but in the World Cup 2023 there will be probably be a stronger direction in terms of ball in play and more unstructured play.
“They have all the power and dictate what laws come in. We just follow. Where are laws trialled? Super Rugby. The rest of the world decides they want them because everyone gets infatuated by Super Rugby so we have to have that in the game. The challenge for the rest of the countries is to get a bit of influence.”