Join host Alex Chapman with special guests Buck Shelford & Michaela Blyde as they review the New Zealand v Ireland and England v Australia RWC quarter-finals. VIDEO/Spark Sport/RWC/Mark Mitchell/allblacks.com/Photosport/Gettyimages
COMMENT:
Eddie Jones was the outsider with something to prove, the part-Asian kid who found life tough during his upbringing in Australia.
"Little old me against the big bad world," seems to be the resulting theme to his life.
But he's pushing the underdog line into la-la land when heuses it as head coach of England, the richest union in world rugby.
Saturday night's World Cup semifinal between the All Blacks and England is a showdown between two Goliaths. One of those monsters more than lives up to reputation, while the other is among world sport's biggest duds.
Affluent England rugby should be regarded as a laughing stock, not a battling underdog. Its record against New Zealand, in particular, is an absolute joke.
Since England's heroic 2003 win in Wellington, they have lost 15 out of 16 matches, the average margin of defeat about 15 points. Six of the defeats have been by more than 20 points.
During that time they've hardly produced one player who gets the heart racing or might be called a great, although a few forwards in their current side are giving it a very decent crack.
England's 2003 victory - they were down to 13 men at one stage - showed what they should be capable of. It came after an exhausting season for their players and was a major stepping stone towards their World Cup triumph in Australia that year.
England head coach Eddie Jones is good for a sound bite and not much else. Photo / Getty Images
It could have been a springboard. What followed is a shambles.
Their solitary victory during that time, a fabulous win inspired by Manu Tuilagi in 2012, was greeted with the usual English triumphalism, like they had put a man on the moon.
And we're the sycophants according to Eddie.
Yes, for sure, there is an element of truth to Jones' throwaway line this week that the New Zealand media includes "fans with keyboards". But that sort of national bias tends to happen in sports coverage all over the world.
At least the New Zealand media has an excuse, because they are covering an exceptional side. And the press here actually leaps on perceived All Black failures or frailties - perhaps only the Wallabies face such savage scrutiny from their own media.
In contrast, can you imagine the English press reaction if their side had dominated world rugby as the All Blacks have done with such style?
And when was the last time Jones was truly challenged at a press conference? He's been spewing out more of his normal guff this week with a free pass.
"We don't have any pressure, mate, put up your hand if you think we can win," he prattled at a press conference, before completing the setup.
"There you go, so no one. No one thinks we can win."
If no one thinks you can win Eddie, then that is to your discredit as a coach.
But Jones gets away with it every time. Every stupid little utterance gets a major play. This is a bloke who described the United States World Cup team as "15 Donald Trumps".
The person in rugby who sounds most like Donald Trump is Eddie Jones.
If you dig below the surface of the All Blacks' exploits, the Yokohama semifinal should be portrayed as a royal chance for England to topple the world champions.
Eddie Jones drops the ball during an England training session earlier this month. Photo / Getty Images
If they can't, then it is opportunity lost because the All Blacks have had more than their share of troubles over the past year or two.
Captain Kieran Read, Sam Cane, Brodie Retallick and Dane Coles have all dealt with serious injuries. Liam Squire quit the All Blacks. They lost the mercurial Damian McKenzie.
A number of props were hit by injuries and Karl Tu'inukuafe suffered a serious illness.
Owen Franks, Ben Smith and Rieko Ioane lost form and there have been forced changes in the coaching setup.
The effect of legendary player retirements after the last World Cup is well documented, but those other difficulties are largely glossed over.
But under any circumstances, Jones' silly claims that all the pressure is on New Zealand in a World Cup semifinal should be beneath the coach of an England rugby side.
His unsubstantiated inference that New Zealand spied on England training sessions, while also claiming there is no point to spying on training sessions, is the sort of gobbledygook which he gets away with in the media ratings game.
All this alleged press conference psychological warfare is a load of baloney, the product of an era where some coaches believe they are the masters of every marionette and sound bites have replaced genuine interviews.
It is all so blatant. If England lose, well that's the natural order of things. If they win, Eddie Jones is a genius. Yawn.
England is rugby's most unpopular team. The thought of England winning this showdown becomes even more unbearable, with the smart-arse Jones in charge.
There is far more at stake than the Jones factor of course. But oh for the All Blacks to shut him up, if only briefly. At least he's added that element to the game.
