Eddie Jones has criticised World Rugby’s measures to make the game safer
Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has echoed the thoughts of rugby fans everywhere in calling out World Rugby’s attempts to make the game safer - suggesting it may have done just the opposite.
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Echoing the thoughts of rugby fans everywhere, Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has laid the boot into the game’s lawmakers over their meddling attempts to make the game safer.
The call-it-as-he sees it Aussie coach says the relentless stoppages that have blighted the modern games are not helping make it any less dangerous.
In fact, Jones reckons the officials have made such a balls up of trying to protect players that they inadvertently increased the risk of injury.
“The game’s evolving into these 30-second bouts of absolute power,” Jones said.
“So big people playing the game, you’ve got these 30-second bouts of power then interspersed with a two-minute burst of soccer/football, where there’s a lot of transition and you’ve got to be able to play really quickly.
“I think it’s really fascinating at the moment where the game will go next.
“World Rugby have tried to make the game safer, but they’ve made it more powerful by having more stoppages in the game,”
It’s not the first time Jones has questioned the directions is heading in.
And nor is he alone.
For years, people who love the game have been calling on the sport’s administrators to fix their goofy laws, especially the irritating stoppages that turned the game into a yawn fest.
The greatest fear is that rugby is becoming more like soccer, which rewards kicking over contact.
Jones’ reasoning is that the unintended consequence of the constant stoppages is that they allow big players time to catch their breath and prepare for the next hit.
That means that each collision is more brutal than normal, adding to the risk of serious harm.
“I’ve always said you need the game to be more continuous,” Jones said.
“The average ball-in-play is 30 seconds, the average break in the game is 70 seconds, so you encourage a power contest. I think we need more continuous play.”
While everyone understands - and applauds - the proactive role World Rugby has taken in trying to reduce injuries, particularly head injuries, Jones still thinks the officials are going about it the wrong way.
He said one of his biggest beefs was with power given to television match officials to halt the game while they pore over vision of on-field incidents using slow-motion footage and different camera angles.
“I think our use of the TMO in rugby is fraught with danger,” Jones said.
“That we’re asking a referee in the grandstand to make decisions on a different angle on the game, through video.
“It’s not making the game a better spectacle, it’s not making it a better game for the players.”
But Jones does not believe anyone from World Rugby will act because he thinks they have been blinded by the incredible success of the global game, particularly the World Cup, which has grown into a mega event, drawing record crowds and viewers.
“We’re just lucky because international rugby is so popular,” Jones said.
“At Lille (Thursday night), there were 50,000 there to watch France play Uruguay.
“We played a practice game against France and there’s 80,000 people there.
“International rugby is so popular we could almost put anything on the field and people are still going to come because of nationalism and patriotism of the teams
“But I think we need to improve the game, I think we really need to improve the game and at the end of this World Cup there’ll be an opportunity to do that.”
Tough love has rookie Wallaby back on track
Wallabies playmaker Carter Gordon has revealed he’s had some “tough conversations” with Eddie Jones over his form at the World Cup and is now ready to bring back his silky running game when Australia takes on Fiji in a critical pool match on Monday morning.
Ben Donaldson replaced Carter as the Wallabies’ goal kicker against Georgia last weekend and did a fantastic job - booting three penalties and three conversions - so is expected to retain the kicking duties against Fiji.
With starting halfback Tate McDermott stood down because of the sport’s strict concussion protocols, Carter will be in charge of running the backline and said Jones had already told him to get more involved after he had a relatively quiet game against Georgia.
“He just wants me to get my hands on the ball a little bit more at the moment,” Carter said,
“So, when there‘s turnover and things like that he just wants me to get my hands on the ball, get in the play, or be directing play. That’s the message for me at the moment.”
Carter, still in his first season for the Wallabies, said while Jones had told him he wants, he had also instilled a lot of confidence in him.
“I feel like he‘s managed me well,” Gordon said.
“He‘s obviously had a few tough conversations. He’s come in and (said), ‘mate, you need to be here, you need to be doing this’.
“I‘ll bloody take that with both hands every time because it’s such good feedback from him.
“Other times he‘s kind of just let me go out there and do my thing and kind of find it for myself. I think he’s been really good in that area.
“Like Eddie says, you kind of get judged every day. You earn your jersey every day.
“He‘s put his belief in me, but obviously he still expects me to train really hard and play really hard and keep earning that jersey and not letting it get away.”
The Wallabies will announce their team to play Fiji later on Friday, with either Nic White or Issak Fines-Leleiwasa to replace McDermott as starting halfback and the other to come off the bench.
Without divulging who will wear the No. 9 gold jersey, Wallabies assistant coach Pierre-Henry Bronca said both halfbacks had strong claims but for very different reasons.
“Nic has more experience, he’s an experienced player. He knows France very well because he was a player for Montpellier and he can control the game perhaps more than Fines,” Bronca said.
“But Fines is a Fijian player. He’s an athletic player, very fast, he can carry very well and he’s a strong boy. As a halfback, I prefer to play against Nic, I think, because he varies the fight. Fines can be very tough.
“His experience is normal for a halfback, but Fines has improved the last two months very well. He played very well for the Western Force in Super Rugby with not a strong team, but he played very well.
“He’s an interesting player. I didn’t know him before but he’s a very good boy and a very good player.”
Added how the Wallabies would approach the match against Fiji after kicking heavily in last weekend’s 35-15 win over Georgia, Bronca did give a strong hint they may throw more caution to the wind this time.
“Fiji today is a strong team. I‘m not sure we need to control the tempo against Fiji. We need to play with tempo for sure, but we need to play fast and play with a lot of detail at the breakdown,” he said.
“Fiji have changed in the last 10 years. Today we are going to play against a strong forward pack, the best players are in France. But Fiji Drua in Super Rugby played very well this year. We need to play a very good game to beat Fiji and it’ll be very tough, but we’ve prepared the team very well this week.”
One player in serious doubt is tighthead prop Taniela Tupou, who has a hamstring injury (see below).
The Wallabies want to wait until the last minute before deciding on whether or not Tupou can play but it is increasingly unlikely.
If Tupou is ruled out, backrower Rob Leota said it was up to all the other forwards to fill the void.
“It‘s definitely next man up for us, there’s 33 in this team and we know it’s out of our control when things like that happen,” Leota said.
“So for us, our prep can‘t change. We’ve got to keep prepping like we’ve been doing the whole week against Fiji and we just back the next guy that comes up. And if they take Nella’s spot, we just give them the same confidence that we give Taniela.
“He‘s in good spirits I think. I went through an Achilles injury with him the past year, so I‘ve been with him where it’s been really tough.
“So for him, he‘s used to it, he’s been there. For us, it’s just to give him that support.”
WALLABIES CAMP ROCKED BY STAR’S INJURY AHEAD OF FIJI CLASH
The Wallabies smooth start to the Rugby World Cup has hit a major snag with hardman Taniela Tupou in danger of missing Australia’s crucial World Cup match against Fiji on Monday morning because of a hamstring injury.
Tupou was sent for scans after sitting out the team’s latest training session in France on Wednesday afternoon, and although the results indicated a ‘minor’ injury, team officials are not taking any chances with the beefy front rower.
A team spokesman said Tupou would continue to be monitored by medical staff with plans to return to training as soon as possible but with no time frame set.
Given his history of niggles and his importance to the team’s World Cup prospects, it’s unlikely the Wallabies would take any risks with their starting tight-head with the team to play Wales the week, probably to decide the pool winner.
An automatic selection at tighthead prop if he is healthy, “Tongan Thor’ was a notable absentee from the Wallabies’ practice run at their base camp in central France.
Instead of joining his teammates on the training paddock, Tupou stayed on the touchline with the Australian conditioners, keeping his legs fresh.
Speaking before the scan results came back, attack coach Jason Ryles confirmed that Tupou is carrying a niggle.
“Taniela is on the sideline at the moment,” Ryles said.
“He has got a bit of a hamstring complaint but we’re just going to monitor him and just see how he goes over the next couple of days.
“He didn’t train today but that’s not unusual for Taniela, don’t worry.”
Also skipping training was former captain and loosehead prop James Slipper, who is recovering from a foot injury.
Slipper missed the Wallabies’ opening match win over Georgia and is racing against time to return in time for the match with Fiji in St Etienne.
“Slips has been managed at this stage,” Ryles said.
“I think he’s certainly in the picture but we’re not exactly sure how that’s going to pan out, whether it’s this week or next week.
“Himself and Pone (Fa‘amausili) have been doing a lot of stuff off field and then dropping into training at different stages with what their injuries allow them to and what the medical team allow them to.
“I’m not sure if it will be this week but they’ll be close.”
With Allan Alaalatoa unavailable for the World Cup because of injury, the Australians are having to carefully manage all their front-rowers because the team’s success depends on their fitness.
Wallabies lock Nick Frost is also closer to returning to the fray after slicing his ear in the recent Bledisloe Cup series against New Zealand.
The gash has taken longer to heal than expected but teammate Tom Hooper said he’d found an unorthodox way to stop it from bleeding again.
“He‘s good to go,” Hooper said.
“He‘s running out there with a water polo cap on.
“So he‘s got a little bit of a home job, cut a hole in the head gear, put a water polo cap on.
“He’s MacGyver, so is doing really well.”
Hooper was switched from blindside flanker late in the match against Georgia and was handed the added responsibility of calling the lineouts.
By his own admission, he had made a hash of it but said he would do a much better job with the set pieces if called on again.
“I had concerns definitely because it was me calling it,” Hooper said.
“So, I’ve got to chuck my hand up there and cop that one on the chin.
“But I’m a young player and Eddie was really good.
“He came up to me after the game and said it was an unfamiliar role for me and definitely throughout the course of this World Cup, I’m not going to be first choice lineout caller, but I might find myself back there.”
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