This has just appeared on my timeline which kind of puts into words how I feel about EJ these days, after what seemed like a breath of fresh air during the RWC. 😐
In what has been something of an incendiary episode from the start, it was probably fitting that Eddie Jones ended up having his eyebrow-raising tuppence worth.
Ahead of departing for Paris where he hopes his England side will claim a first Grand Slam in 13 years against France on Saturday night, Jones said the Welsh Rugby Union’s hard-line stance against racism in the wake of the Joe Marler-Samson Lee ‘gypsy boy’ furore had an ulterior motive.
“Everyone is keen for England not to win the Grand Slam, let’s be real about it,” said Jones.
“Wales will be happy if we don’t win the Grand Slam and they’ll do anything to upset us in our preparation. It’s as simple as that.”
Don’t flatter yourself Eddie. A sizeable contingent of Welsh supporters may like to see Les Bleus derail England, but the WRU and the Wales squad couldn’t care two hoots.
But that’s hardly the point.
For the England boss to equate an organisation’s condemnation of racism with some conspiracy to influence the outcome of a game was just beneath contempt.
And to cast doubt on the integrity of people like WRU chief executive Martyn Phillips and chairman Gareth Davies – for that’s what Jones has effectively done – was crass and unforgivable.
There will be those who titter at the remarks, brush them off as having come from a canny Australian on a wind-up.
Well, if Jones was indeed trying to wind everyone up it was deeply irresponsible.
He taunted Wales by claiming they ‘don’t know if they are Arthur or Martha’, in reference to apparently contradictory stances on the affair.
But this ignored the fact that Warren Gatland, who described Marler’s comment as ‘banter’ is just one employee of the WRU – albeit a high profile one.
It was one errant remark from someone who has since issued an apology. The WRU’s position has been consistent from the outset.
Continuing his assault on rational thinking, Jones added: “This is why you have citing commissions. Once they have made their decision you get on with – you don’t say it (the decision) is wrong.”
Why’s that Eddie? Why do we have to accept the bizarre ruling of anonymous and misguided Six Nations officials?
With this saga having dominated the run-up to the final Six Nations weekend, there have been calls from some quarters to ‘move on’.
But move on to what? To an acceptance that it is OK for players to sling this sort of insult at opponents? To the fact that some junior players will now take the field thinking that if they do what Marler did they shouldn’t be punished?
Jones is experiencing his first Six Nations and may yet repeat the trick Gatland performed in 2008 by doing a clean sweep at the first attempt.
But it appears he still has much to learn about the respect which has always underpinned the tournament, and relations between the competing sides.
Meanwhile, if England win at Stade de France there will certainly be the usual angst about their success among the red clad hordes. T’was ever thus.
Yet nobody this side of the Severn Bridge who knows anything about the game will, deep down, begrudge them.
They will be deserving champions, deserving Grand Slammers.
Genuine rugby fans will applaud the achievement. Jones will be entitled to puff out his chest and talk excitedly about the future of English rugby.
But when the dust has settled, when we all go back to work on Monday morning, the stain of an unsatisfactory outcome to a matter of grave importance will remain.
That’s because players hurling around jibes like ‘gypsy boy’ is about so much more than one match alone. It’s about the very future of rugby union.
How incredibly silly of Jones not to realise that.
