by If you can’t beat them, hire them. When England players last saw Felix Jones, he was assistant coach to the South African team that went ahead of them in last year’s Rugby World Cup semi-final in Paris. Now here he is in his inner sanctum. An Irishman with a red rose on his chest, wants to share some Springbok trade secrets ahead of this year’s Six Nations championship.
The question is: which ones? The “traffic light” communication system from the Boks training box? The 7-1 bench split? Big name water carriers? So far, Jones suggests, the answer is none of the above. “I don’t think you’ll see it at Twickenham,” he said this week, when asked if Rassie Erasmus’s familiar traffic lights would return. How about a “Nuke Squad” replica of beef substitutes? “I think that’s probably a little bit further down the line as well.”
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So what exactly will Jones, 36, who is still based in Dublin, bring to his new role as England’s defense coach? To judge from the long list of scribbled notes written in blue ballpoint pen on the back of her left hand, the answer is little and lots of it. Steve Borthwick, the England head coach, describes him as “one of the toughest people I’ve ever met, which is saying something”. In Jones’ first tactical address to the squad, Borthwick told Jones “showing things I don’t think I’ve heard any other coach discuss” and the room fell silent as everyone began to appreciate the value addition he could add. .
Having already shared two World Cup wins and a league win over the British and Irish Lions, Jones’ coaching CV is already on display. Not least because he had no intention of becoming a coach when, after representing Munster and winning 13 caps in the three caps for Ireland, injury forced him to retire at 28. “I didn’t think about it. as a way of life. I just kind of fell into it. Anthony Foley asked me to come back in and keep my eyes on what Munster was doing and give feedback. The following season Rassie Erasmus came in and said: ‘Look, do you want to take this more seriously?’”
Born into a family of generations of distinguished Irish architects, Jones clearly has an analytical mind suited to the modern data-heavy game. He also has a contemporary understanding of the game, having shared the field with some of the current England squad. Elliot Daly and Henry Slade started against him when the Irish met Wolfhounds and English Saxons in Cork in 2015. Luke Cowan-Dickie and Maro Itoje were on the bench. “Dan Cole also mentioned that I played in a Churchill Cup game … and maybe Danny Care in the F20s somewhere too. I think we are all showing our age.”
It gives him a good understanding of exactly what it takes to win at the highest level these days – and what is worth stealing from the world champions. “It’s not always transferable but for anyone who’s played rugby, you feel when a side is really tight, you’re not going to get away with it and you’re going to stay in the fight. And whether you’re at schoolboy or international level, winning clashes is a big plus. It almost goes without saying.”
He also has a reputation as a student of failure where he helps the array of formidable forward artillery that South Africa have and England still hope to match. Jones, however, makes it clear that muscle is not the only answer. “Obviously size and power play into things but there’s also the character, toughness and motivation of people. If we can continue to find the right people in the Premiership who can show those qualities, I think it could be just as effective, if not more, in terms of winning clashes.”
Jones also has Jedi levels of expertise on how modern Test level defenses now work. “What most defenses are looking for is an increase in the opposition’s skill set under pressure. Attacking is getting so good these days and that will be one of the biggest things.” On the evidence of last October’s wet-weather semi-final at the Stade de France, he believes England already have fundamental pillars in place. “Our view was that the England team was an extremely effective and difficult team. I thought it was an incredible game. I know it was raining, but from the right side and the intensity of the game, I thought it was very exciting.”
Which begs the question of how much it will broaden England’s views or, in keeping with South Africa’s successful modus operandi, narrow them? Entertaining the crowd is not always a coaching priority, even if the Twickenham patrons are clamoring for something more aggressive. “There’s also a side to winning Test matches and not blinding yourself to what’s effective,” cautions Jones. “You have to find the marriage and it’s challenging.”
How he fares in the former Kevin Sinfield role will be central to the team’s development either way. These are early days but Jones is not one to shrink in the face of adversity. The highlight of his playing career, he says, was fighting back from two serious knee operations and a dislocated neck. When he invites the England players to get together and hear his thoughts on exactly how to tackle big games, his track record suggests they would do well to listen.
