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/ 16 January 2008

Bulls benefit from Eddie’s input

The one-and-a-half-day visit of Eddie Jones to the Bulls was worthwhile — and the Super 14 champions have learnt a lot from it. Bulls forward coach Pote Human and the franchise’s new captain, Fourie du Preez, were unanimous in their view that the former Brumbies and Wallaby coach had lots to offer the Bulls.

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/ 24 October 2007

Leave rugby’s rules alone, says Eddie Jones

Former Wallabies coach and Springbok consultant Eddie Jones on Wednesday dismissed calls for changes to rugby union’s rules after a drab World Cup final that featured no tries. Jones, who helped South Africa to their win in Paris, said the demand for change was ”Australia-centric” as the calls in that country have grown since the Wallabies’ defeat by a defensive England side.

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/ 19 October 2007

‘It’s time for new heroes’

‘I’ve believed for a long time now that South Africa are going to win the World Cup,” Jake White says with quiet but utter certainty in his hotel room in Paris. Days away from the final, against an England team that White’s Springboks beat 36-0 last month, it might be presumed that arrogance or complacency underpins the South African coach’s unusually bold honesty.

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/ 9 October 2007

Jones points finger at Connolly for Aussie Cup exit

Former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has blamed his successor, John Connolly, for Australia’s shock World Cup exit last weekend at the hands of old enemy England. Connolly replaced Jones two years ago and there has been no love lost between the pair, particularly since Jones signed up as an adviser to South Africa for this year’s tournament in France.

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/ 8 October 2007

Australian media taunt All Blacks

Australian newspapers on Monday sought to ease the pain of the Wallabies’ Rugby World Cup exit at the hands of England — and the boot of Jonny Wilkinson — by taunting the All Blacks. ”At least we didn’t choke,” Brisbane’s Courier-Mail screamed across its back page.

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/ 30 September 2007

White: Jones won’t compromise Wallaby secrets

Eddie Jones will not compromise what he knows of the Wallabies’ inner workings to the advantage of fierce Rugby World Cup rivals South Africa, Springboks coach Jake White said on Sunday. White, who is using Jones as a consultant at the tournament, says the former Wallaby coach is a huge positive for him and the Springbok team.

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/ 29 September 2007

White: Can’t stop Oz poaching players

Springbok coach Jake White issued Australian rugby with a dare to plunder South Africa’s burgeoning rugby talent as the Wallabies look to boost their shallow player depth ahead of the next World Cup. ”The reality is that not every South African superstar is going to be playing for South Africa,” said White on Friday.

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/ 21 September 2007

Rugby’s hemispheric haemorrhage

As the Rugby World Cup pool stage reached the halfway point this week, not one of the Six Nations countries could yet start planning for a quarterfinal. On the form of the opening two rounds, the semifinalists will all be from the southern hemisphere: New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Argentina.

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/ 29 August 2007

Stransky puts his money on Boks

Former South African World Cup-winning flyhalf Joel Stransky is backing the three southern-hemisphere powers as well as hosts France to have the biggest impact at this year’s Rugby World Cup, which kicks off on September 7. ”If I were a betting man, I’d put my money on South Africa,” he said.