Eddie Jones
Japan coach Eddie Jones has dismissed speculation that he has penned a deal with the DHL Stormers but said he was in talks with the Cape side.
Jones, like any professional in the sporting world, is weighing up his options before his contract comes to an end in Japan.
The Australian has a contract with the ‘Brave Blossoms’ until the end of 2015 but he was thought keen to remain in Japan, which will host the 2019 World Cup, to coach the national side as well as the new Super Rugby expansion team.
However, reports from Cape Town on Monday said that the 55-year-old had already put pen-to-paper on a 2-year deal worth R 5 000 000.00 ($ 385 563.00) per year with the Stormers.
There was also speculation that Jones could retain his role with the Japan national side despite being based in South Africa.
The former Springbok assistant coach told Japan’s Kyodo News on Tuesday he was simply exploring his options.
“I am chatting with the Stormers but that’s the extent of it,” he said.
“I am off contract in 2015 and I’m looking at my options.
“Players and coaches sign contracts and do everything they can until the contract comes to an end. But you need to look elsewhere when your contract is coming to an end. That’s professional rugby.”
Jones, who has never held a top coaching position in South Africa, said he was always drawn to the appeal of doing something different.
“That’s why I came to Japan after coaching in England,” he said.
“No Australian has done anything in Japan. I like new challenges and that’s why I am chatting with them.”
Former Stormers coach Allister Coetzee, has moved to Japan to take over Top League side the Steelers and the Cape Town outfit have been in the market for a new coach.
rugby365
Could be a masterstroke by Gert Smal to appoint Jones. WP/Stormers have always flattered to deceive. By changing the defensive mindset of the Stormers into an attacking team. It may sway the rest of the conservative coaches in SA to change their game plans (Johan Ackermann excepted).
I wonder why Gert does not take a more hands on approach to the coaching roll?
Got to feel for Pdivvy, Meyer allegedly got a contract extension and 4 years later Pdivvy cant land ANY proper coaching job.
Nou gaan Ben in sy corn flakes stik….
Eddie wants Victor for the Stormers
He hasn’t signed anything yet but the Western Province management staff have already been told that Eddie Jones will be coaching Super Rugby next year so it looks like the big talking point in Cape rugby at the moment can be considered a done deal.
It is understood the appointment of the former Brumbies, Reds and Wallabies coach (plus of course a clutch of other teams such as Saracens) and current coach of the Japan national team will be announced within a few weeks. If there isn’t a late glitch and for some reason pen is not put to paper, thus will end a search for Stormers director of rugby Gert Smal that included approaches or a feeling out process to several overseas coaches.
Former Crusaders and Wallabies coach Robbie Deans was one of those sounded out about his availability early in the year, and a serious approach was made to former Sharks coach John Plumtree, who is now assistant coach at the Hurricanes. It is understood from sources close to him that Plumtree gave what was considered a very attractive offer serious consideration but eventually turned it down on the basis that he didn’t want to uproot his family again.
Durban based John Mitchell, the Lions’ Currie Cup winning coach of 2011 and a former All Black mentor, was targeted before Plumtree was, but turned it down on the basis that he wanted a four year contract rather than two and was uncomfortable with Smal’s insistence that he’d have to work with the same support staff that served under Allister Coetzee.
Mitchell could still be involved as subsequent to him turning the Stormers down he was asked if he’d be prepared to work as a spot coach. That is the term given in Japan to coaches who serve as consultants and are called in every now and then to address specific areas of play but are not with the team constantly.
Mitchell would probably still be available for such a role if Jones is coach – in his autobiography he didn’t make any secret of his admiration for the man he pitted himself against at the 2003 World Cup – and the prospect of Jones perhaps consulting occasionally with Mitchell on strategy would be a mouth-watering one for Cape rugby fans wishing to see their team improve the attacking game they have struggled with over the past few seasons.
However the more pressing need, once Jones’ appointment is confirmed, will be the appointment of a fulltime forwards coach to replace Matt Proudfoot, who has followed Coetzee overseas. And that is where it becomes interesting, for the man that Jones is said to be determined to recruit is current Springbok stand-in captain Victor Matfield.
The veteran is currently focussed on the World Cup and has been linked to a possible playing career swansong with English club Bath, something denied by the club itself. Matfield has served as an assistant at the Bulls for a few seasons and was until a short while ago considered to be in the running to succeed Frans Ludeke as head coach of the Bulls.
Getting Matfield to leave Pretoria for the Cape might sound like a tough ask and thinking of Matfield linked to the Stormers and not the Bulls is a bit like imagining Portuguese chicken marinated in ice-cream rather than peri-peri.
However, such a move might be good for Matfield in furthering his rugby experience and developing his coaching ability – there is still no clarity about who will be head coach at the Bulls – and it could also be good for South African rugby if you consider that three of the four Bok locks of the future should be on the Stormers books next year.
The two No 5s, Pieter-Steph du Toit, who is Matfield’s heir apparent in that position in the Bok team, and Ruan Botha could certainly learn something from Matfield’s astuteness as a lineout technician and strategist.
It might all sound like pie in the sky for now, but Matfield is said to be the man Jones would want to be his forwards assistant.
Robbie Fleck grew a lot as a coach during the last Super Rugby season and is currently picking up experience as a head coach with the WP under-21 team, and there is a lot of merit in allowing him to grow under Jones by continuing in his role as backs coach, while current WP Currie Cup coach John Dobson should also be accommodated in the new-look Stormers management team for 2016.
Divvie is obviously not a Meyer fan….”took our rugby into the gutters” 😆
http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2015/08/19/Why-reward-Meyers-mess
3 @ nortie:
Wow Nortie where did you get that article? one of the few well written rugby articles imo.
@ MacroPolo:
http://www.supersport.com/rugby/super-rugby/news/150819/Eddie_wants_Victor_for_the_Stormers
@ nortie:
Very few well balanced articles, usually their only intent is to rile people up, well done Gavin Rich.
Looking at the photo of Judas Jones in the article above,
I note that Eddie doesn’t have much hair left.
I wonder why?
“Eddie…………………………………..Africa is not going to help”.
From Australia’s point of view, this is of course excellent news………………………………………..He won’t be coming home.
From NZ’s point of view, …………….even better. The most promising SR Team in SA, will be taken over by overrated incompetents.
Will you fookers never learn.
cane wrote:
Well your prophecy could maybe not be too far off going by Norties post.
Eddie… check
Mitchell…check
Jake…?
@ MacroPolo:
Macro,
You are SA.
One of the greatest Rugby Nations on The Planet.
With a history of success everywhere on the Globe for a 115 years or more.
Appointing a Coach from Japan makes no sense at all.
Have faith in your own.
Japan should be importing your Coaches…………………………………..not the other way around.
This Appointment does nothing for SA Rugby. (if it goes ahead).
Nothing at all.
10 @ cane:
SA has a massive problem with their succession plans for coaches, and somehow the upcoming SA coaches are not valued and brought through.
Take this example of WP / Stormers as a prime example.
For a number of years now John Dobson has knocked on the WP door for higher honours… and he’s been given a bit of a bone only to coach WP in our domestic Currie Cup Competition… but is now being shunned for the Super Rugby job in favour of Eddie van der Moans!
It’s SA’s own fault that they do not have a derth of coaches who coach at the highest levels!
@ MacroPolo:
I can tell you Saffa’s this.
If Eddie was appointed, or even rumoured to be appointed, to any NZ SR Coaching position,
there would be outrage. And heads would roll.
The position would be that, ………………………………even if Eddie was more qualified,
A Local would benefit so much from the experience, that it would be an investment in the future of NZ Rugby.
Eddie,
Mitch,
even Jake…………………………………….this is not the future of SA rugby.
@ grootblousmile:
Every Nation, every Team, make mistakes in appointing Coaches:
– NZ made a mistake with Mitch.
– Western Force made a mistake with Mitch.
– The Lions made a mistake with Mitch.
Now Mitch is being trumped as an possible Assistant Coach to Eddie.
How long does it take for some people to see a trend?
😳
SA has enough Rugby brains to create their own mess. Without the help of Eddie, Mitch or whoever.
We all learn by our mistakes…………………………….And we are better people for it.
13 @ cane:
The only reason I could think of, why South Africa or at least sections of the SA Rugby fraternity would want an injection of foreign coaches, is to break away from the traditional SA mould in order to play to a more ball-handling and new-age way of play… away from the traditional SA mentality of subdue with the forwards and then penetrate by means of bumper-car backs.
I think most of us Saffas want that, a more complete type of game, where we play intelligent and an off-loading type of game, where forwards and backs run into space in place of trying to run through and over the opposition.
I personally do not think we have to go find THAT in foreign coaches though, I think we need to tweak little things to achieve that, whilst using SA grown coaches… and of course we need to instill that ball-handling and running culture amongst players from junior school levels already.
Our Schools, well a lot of the prominent schools, already play a patterned and too structured game, instead of playing a much more wide-awake type of game, challenging that which is in front of you. We need to reward creativity, not make the Schools players little robots emulating the bigger Springbok robots.
Once again, I see it as smaller adjustments… the talent is there… it needs to be brought forward and through.
Good example of it working already is the way the Lions play in Super Rugby…. a more expansive and rounded game approach.
Luckily… well hopefully luckily, most of the SA Super Rugby Franchises are all getting new head coaches, so that might mean that a new culture of rugby is maybe in the process of being born and fostered.
I see positive signs of it at the Blue Bulls under Nollis Marais, at WP under John Dobson, at the Golden Lions under Johann Ackermann and at the Free State Cheetahs under Franco Smith… now we need to see the same at the Cell C Sharks and at the EP Kings too.
Foreign coaches are going to fail in SA, if the root causes are not addressed first, if the overall mindset is not changed, if SARU does not provide the platforms for logical progression, and if the SA Rugby Unions do not change their old way of Rugby Administrators and if all do not apply a more business-driven approach… like your lot in New Zealand.
New Zealand’s Rugby Administrators are leagues ahead of their SA counterparts… and THAT is the basic and prime reason you are ahead on the playing field at the moment too!
I will not let anybody tell me there is not the player talent pool in SA to make it to No 1 in the world… not for a minute.
cane wrote:
Just shows how desperate we are, we could not do any worse than Eddie.
@ cane:
Even the supposed future springbok coach is too afraid to take a coaching position at the stormers 😆
PS. There is rumours the Stormers are chasing Boom Prinsloo as well, THAT would be an exceptional buy, an extremely underrated player.
17 @ MacroPolo:
Will be a good buy, with Duane going loose forward depth will be a bit thin.
Not sure if Schalk will have another season in him either, probably depends somewhat on how the WC will go.
Stormers still need to sign a big name fly half, we are very thin at 10 when it comes to players with track record.
2 dropped catches in the first over already…swak Proteas, swak
@ nortie:
3rd time lucky
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/19/oscar-pistorius-release-date-put-on-hold
Oscar Pistorius’s release from prison halted by South Africa’s justice minister
Paralympian, who is serving five-year sentence for killing Reeva Steenkamp, was due to be moved to house arrest but parole board is ordered to review case again
Excellent news
Let him rot in there
@ BrumbiesBoy:
Sorry, @Ango it should’ve read
Eish… more political interference
18 @ nortie:
Boom will probably be the best bang for your buck player in the country, he is not built as athletic as Marcel Coetzee or Jaco Kriel, but you will have to look hard to find a player that works harder than Boom.
5 down now NZ
Dobson is a clever man, a very good coach and has paid his dues at WP but at this stage of his career he can not even be compared to Eddie Jones… Hopefully the Stormers can get Jones for 2 years to build a new team and to groom Dobson to become his successor after 2 years.
@ robzim:
That’s is my way of thinking too. That he not only coaches the Stormers, but also coaches the coaches. WP will be better off for it.
Ooooh-la-la
“Bit close to the bone” this one is:
http://www.iol.co.za/sport/rugby/ehrenreich-target-of-racial-slur-1.1902891#.VdWeJrKqqko
@ grootblousmile:
You don’t have a lot of quality/depth in the backs.
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