
Rugby
Share
Published 20:50 20 Mar 2021 GMT
Explore more on these topics:
He denied that his team is going backwards and argued that all his team need to discover is some consistency. Asked if Ireland surprised him, Jones remarked:
"No, we felt they’d come pretty hard at us through the front door, mate. Given the previous results between the teams we knew they wanted to settle the physical stakes particularly. We thought they’d come hard, we thought they’d kick a lot, which they did and they did it very well, mate."
What then followed were a series of short, sharp responses to different English reporters, starting with an enquiry if Ireland got their tactics right:
JONES: They got their tactics right, yeah and the scoreboard indicates that.
REPORTER: Do you feel there is a bit of a disconnect between the team and supporters
JONES: I don’t think that’s the case, mate, I don’t know what you are talking about.
REPORTER: On Whatsapp and social media, much of the comments are negative
JONES: I don’t know mate, I can’t comment on it.
REPORTER: What has to change?
JONES: We need to assess where we are going. I said all along we are going through transition and this is almost a natural time for that to happen, almost two years to a World Cup. Those things will happen.
REPORTER: Is that a case of tactics, or is it personnel?
JONES: bit of both, mate.
REPORTER: Are you still able to get through to players?
JONES: Yeah, most definitely, I don’t think that’s the issue. If it was the issue, I wouldn’t be the coach of the team.
The England coach wrapped up by saying Ireland were never going to play the same open style that the French did, last Saturday, at Twickenham.
"This was always going to be a tight, attritional game at the Aviva Stadium," he concluded, "and we started well and let a few things disappoint us and we got away from it and allowed Ireland to get on the front foot."
Ref mic picks up risky backchat from annoyed Munster captain Beirne
He was not at all pleased…. As expected, a strong Munster outfit put a big score against a seriously depleted Ulster team, beating them 41-14 at Thomond Park on Saturday. The result puts Munster up to fifth in the URC, after a hugely tumultuous few weeks, while Ulster are down to eighth, and just three […]
Rugby
1 day ago
The SportsJOE Friday Pub Quiz: Week 137
Another big teaser! The SportsJOE Friday Pub Quiz is going nowhere! Give it a crack and good luck!
Rugby
5 days ago
The SportsJOE Friday Pub Quiz: Week 136
Rugby