Playing under ‘terrifying’ Eddie Jones like a ‘dystopian novel’

An England rugby star has compared life in the team under Eddie Jones to a “dystopian novel” and has claimed the players were “terrified” of the Australian.

Danny Care has also alleged that Jones demanded one player cut his hair in order to stay in the squad and revealed the cold response he gave to former player Sam Jones, following the flanker’s career-ending ankle injury, as part of an extract from Care’s new book Everything Happens for a Reason: My Life in Rugby that is being serialised by The London Times.

The half-back retired from international rugby following this year’s Six Nations having won 101 caps for England.

“We used to say to each other, ‘Just remember, boys, everything’s a test’, as if we were characters in a dystopian novel. We’d get given a form to fill out and we’d have to say to any new boys, ‘Don’t put anything on there that he could use against you’,” Care alleges in the book.

“If the form asked how you felt, you’d say you felt fine, even if your leg was falling off. Because if you didn’t, you’d be worried about Eddie calling you into his office and asking if you wanted to go home.

“Did Eddie rule by fear? Of course he did, everyone was bloody terrified of him.”

Danny Care (right), with Eddie Jones (front), Ben Youngs (left) and Andrew Johns at an England training session in Sydney in 2016.Credit: Getty Images

Care in the book discusses Jones’ alleged treatment of Kieran Brookes, who won his last cap for England during the 2016 Six Nations.

According to Care, Jones would allegedly berate Brookes following England’s intense “Test match Tuesday” training sessions, asking the front-row forward how he had found the session and either telling him that he had not worked hard enough or was not fit enough.

Jones also allegedly gave Brookes a £20 note and demanded that the prop “go and change that haircut, otherwise you ain’t coming back tomorrow”, according to Care. Brookes went on to cut his hair using some clippers.

Sam Jones, a highly regarded flanker, suffered a devastating ankle injury during a wrestling exercise at an England training camp in Brighton. The injury occurred when Jones wrestled Maro Itoje, who then fell on Jones’ ankle.

Eddie Jones (centre) after England’s 32-12 loss to South Africa in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final.Credit: Getty Images

After the flanker was carried to the side by players and attended to by doctors, the England head coach asked Sam Jones whether he had strapped his ankles before the session. When the injured player replied that he had not, having not realised it was a full-on wrestling workout, Eddie Jones reportedly replied that he should have done so and turned away.

Sam Jones retired as a result of the injury in 2018.

Discussing the high turnover rate of England’s backroom staff during Jones’ tenure, Care described being in the camp as “like living in a dictatorship, under a despot who disappeared people”.

Now the head coach of Japan, Jones has previously defended his management of the England team, arguing that he had learnt from mistakes made earlier in his career.

Jones declined to comment.

The Telegraph, London

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