Eddie Jones eyes huge Japanese rankings surge with 'new style'

Japan’s returning head coach Eddie Jones has said that there is “no reason” why his side cannot break into the top four of the world rankings.

The 64-year-old is credited with building Japan’s most successful team of the professional era during his first stint with the Brave Blossoms, famously beating South Africa in the 2015 World Cup.

Jamie Joseph took over from him and guided the side to the quarter-finals of their own World Cup in 2019, the first time they had done so.

Jerry Flannery on the foundations Jacques Nienaber put in place with the Boks

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Jerry Flannery on the foundations Jacques Nienaber put in place with the Boks

Jerry Flannery says he will be a “poor imitation” if he tries to copy Jacques Nienaber’s style of coaching.

Following a seven-year spell with England, where he won three Guinness Six Nations titles and a World Cup silver medal, and a brief and thoroughly unsuccessful second term with Australia, Jones was named Japan coach for the second time in December.

The Australian laid bare his plans for Japan to “jump” into the top four of the world rankings recently, despite their current rank of twelfth, with a style that “suits Japanese instincts”.

“There’s no reason why we can’t jump into the top four,” Jones said to reporters at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo.

“We need to create a new style of play that is adventurous, that suits Japanese instincts, that is attacking.”

Jones also discussed how he wants to create the “next rugby Ohtani,” referring to Major League Baseball’s Shohei Ohtani, who is a two-way player for the Los Angeles Dodgers, meaning he is an elite pitcher and batter.

“It’s about how we can make young players be really ambitious in wanting to be the best player they can and create the next rugby Ohtani,” he said.

Jones did not shirk away from addressing his Australia tenure, where he quit the role shortly after failing to make the World Cup knockout stages for the first time in the Wallabies’ history. Despite this ill-fated ten months at the helm of Australia, he said he doesn’t have any regrets.

“I tried to do my best in a short period of time,” he said.

“And what I think I’ve left Australia is a young squad that’s capable of doing well.

“Sometimes you got to leave things in a better place and maybe you take responsibility for the failure, which is okay.”

Jones’ first assignment with Japan will be to mastermind a victory over England on June 22 in Tokyo.