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'I'll repeat it 100 times': Eddie Jones' ageist selection policy for Japan unhealthy

Japan's new head rugby coach Eddie Jones speaks during a press conference to speak about the new squad for upcoming matches in Tokyo on May 30, 2024. (Photo by Richard A. Brooks / AFP) (Photo by RICHARD A. BROOKS/Afp/AFP via Getty Images)

It was a moment when the commander, seen after a long time, revealed his emotions.

On September 21 at Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Japan’s national team faced Fiji in the final of the Pacific Nations Cup and lost 17-41.

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Head coach Eddie Jones admitted defeat during the post-match press conference, saying, “I don’t think there’s one area in the game we’ve won.”

In the latter half of the conference, a reporter asked, “Will you call veteran players like Michael Leitch for the squad in October?”

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This was his response: “Japan had an old squad at the last World Cup, so my job is to bring a new squad through.

“You can keep asking me, but I’m telling you, we’ve got to generate a new generation of rugby players in Japan that can go through the next two World Cups.

“We can’t keep re-jigging old players and keeping them in the squad. We need fresh talent in Japan. I apologize if it doesn’t suit your philosophy on selection, but if I have to repeat it 100 times, I’ll repeat it 100 times.”

He let it all out at once. It was the first time Jones had shown such emotion to the Japanese media since June 11, 2012, when he first took charge of Japan and faced the French Barbarians.

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In that match, Japan lost 21-40, and in the post-match press conference, Jones was asked about player selection. “I wanted to develop Japanese players. If my selection was wrong, I’ll resign immediately,” he said in such a fierce manner that the captain sitting next to him had his eyes well up with tears. The scene flashed back during this press conference. His sharp retort, “You don’t like young players?” was a reaction to being hit where it hurts.

“You need a total of 500 caps.”

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Jones introduced this standard of evaluating a team by its total number of caps for Japan when he first took over in 2012. The Japan national team’s total caps for the PNC final against Fiji stood at 224. Top teams around the world, like South Africa, often exceed 1,000 caps. While it’s understandable that Jones wants to give experience to new players, key players who started the Fiji match—such as lock Warner Dearns, flanker Amato Fakatava, fly-half Lee Seung-Sin, center Dylan Riley, and winger Tomoki Osada—had all played in last year’s World Cup. It isn’t entirely accurate to summarize them all under the term “old squad.”

Every country faces the challenge of transitioning between generations. When Jones first took over in 2012, it took two years before he started rejuvenating the team, giving the captaincy to Michael Leitch. This time, however, he’s obviously in a rush. In the spring and summer campaigns alone, 17 players earned their first Japan caps.

Admittedly, some talented players have emerged. Although not part of the PNC squad, 20-year-old Waseda University sophomore fullback Yoshitaka Yazaki’s running game has reminded many of Kenki Fukuoka, who shone in the 2019 World Cup held in Japan. Fukuoka, too, was selected by Jones at the age of 19. Jones has an eye for spotting young talent like no other.

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Still, the current squad cannot be called the strongest Japan has to offer. There are mid-career players in Japan with the skills to be selected for the national team. However, Jones’s ultimate goal of reaching the semi-finals of the 2027 World Cup means that these players are being excluded simply due to their age.

This really doesn’t seem like a healthy system for the national team. Japan won their PNC matches against Canada, Samoa, and the United States, but they couldn’t make a dent against Fiji. Jones stated, “Based on results, we’re not where we need to be, but based on the effort of the players, we’re probably ahead of where I thought we’d be.”

Japan’s next match will be against the All Blacks on October 26 in Yokohama, with Jones remarking, “It’s what we’ve got to do to beat New Zealand now, so that’s the only thing I’m focusing on.”

The squad for the autumn campaign will be announced soon. It’s unlikely that university players like Yazaki will be included, as the university rugby season will be in its crucial stages in November.

If more university players are selected for the squad announced next spring, it wouldn’t be surprising given Jones’s recent comments. However, these players won’t be available for the autumn tours in the northern hemisphere, as they’ll still have their university seasons to complete in June, with the World Cup looming the following year. This leaves them only the June home test matches to gain experience.

This season’s League One will start on December 21, the latest start date in history. This delay is to prioritize the Japan national team, who will face England on November 23, and to consider player welfare. Supporting the national team is a key pillar of League One’s mission.

In the post-final press conference, Jones summarized the tournament, saying, “I think the team got stronger under Haru’s (Tatekawa) leadership.”

Tatekawa is now 34 years old and was part of Jones’s squad for the 2015 World Cup but was not included in the squads for 2019 or 2023. Jones, who denies relying on an “old squad,” still faces the reality that his cherished disciple from that squad played a key role in developing the team.

Watch the highly acclaimed five-part documentary Chasing the Sun 2, chronicling the journey of the Springboks as they strive to successfully defend the Rugby World Cup, free on RugbyPass TV (*unavailable in Africa)

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Comments

8 Comments
R
Red and White Dynamight 92 days ago

How did that selection policy work out for Wallabies at RWC'23 ?

R
RC 92 days ago

He could start by selecting japanese players and not every single kiwi, islander, south african and australian that plays in Japan...

J
JW 92 days ago

Yeah, plenty of good 12's that are younger than Riley or the other aussie.

D
DC 92 days ago

well maybe they need to bring new coaches as well to coach japan eddie isnt doing the best in japan this year

Z
Zoons 92 days ago

He was a bad selection, after the mess he left behind in Australia, but that was also the ARU fault there too. So I would have thought that Japan would have taken that into consideration before making Eddie Jones head coach in Japan? Why do you think England got rid of him??

M
MattJH 92 days ago

You got this, Eddie. Still one of the finest minds to ever coach the game.

C
Cosmo 92 days ago

EJ is a muppet, times 100

J
JW 93 days ago

Give it to him. He's a drongo, his main concern right now should be the next RWC ranking (taken this year). If his team drops out of the top 12 because of his decisions you're basically giving up any hope of going past the pool stages in 2027. Which would be a very poor result for the current talent available to Japan (much like his results with Australia).

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fl 2 hours ago
The Fergus Burke test and rugby's free market

"Do you think Ntamack now is a better player than he was at 21?"


That's hard to say, but he certainly hasn't got much better. At 20 he was the top scorer in the six nations, and hasn't been since. At 20 he scored 3 tries in the six nations, and hasn't scored that many since. At 20 he was nominated for 6 nations player of the tournament, and hasn't been since. At 22 he was selected at 10 in the offical 6 nations team of the tournament, and hasn't been since. About a year or two ago a load of people started saying he was the best 10 in the world, which they hadn't previously, but my perception was that this was less because he had gotten better, and more that in 2020 his world class performances could be written off as flukes whereas by 2023 they were clearly representative of his genuine talent.


"Isn't that what your asking for from Marcus?"


Is what what I'm asking for from Marcus?


This thread began with me trying to explain that there is no reason to think that Marcus Smith will improve going forwards. Do you agree or disagree with that point?


"that the team wants/needs an older version of Dan Carter? Or are you just basing this of win ratio."


What? I literally argued that Dan Carter was at least as good when he was young as he was when he was older. And no, I'm not basing this off win ratio; I just think that England's low win ratio is partly a result of Marcus Smith being much worse than people realise.


"Of course some don't continue to develop past the age of 20. You're not really making any sort of argument unless you have new data. 26/27 is undoubtedly the peak of most positions/peole."


That is literally the argument I am making though. The fact that you agree with me doesn't invalidate my point. People in this thread were arguing that Marcus Smith would continue to improve going forwards; I argued that he might not, and that even if he does he is already not far from his peak. He will literally be 26 next month, so if you are right that 26/27 is undoubtedly the peak of most "peole", he's only got 5 more weeks of development in him!


"Hahaha, define "good"? I'd suggest to you theyre a "good" side now"


I think finishing 3rd at the world cup is good. I think beating Ireland is good. I think losing 5 consecutive matches isn't good. I define good in terms of winning games, and I think that the world rankings are a pretty good metric for quantifying whether consequential games have been won in a team's recent history. How are you defining "good"?


"Surely Ford or Farrell must have had a period of great success somewhere? What about 2015?"


I honestly don't know what you're talking about, or how it bears any relation to this conversation. Farrell probably peaked sometime around 2016 or 2017, Ford probably peaked a couple of years later, but Ford is still a better player now than Marcus Smith is.


"But my point was more the game in England. Having only recently adapted a more open game, the pioneers of that are going to find others take a while to catch up (your point about the rest of the team)."


England adapted pretty quickly to an open game in the six nations last year, and have got worse since then. If England play in the attacking style of play that is common in the premiership the players will pick it up quickly, as they are well used to it.


"So you want the rest of the team trying to halt this momentum and go back to a forward based game ala the success of the last two WCs?"


Seriously, what are you talking about? I don't want "the rest of the team trying to half this momentum", I want the rest of the team to be allowed to play the attacking rugby that comes naturally to them. You seem to have decided that because Marcus Smith has pioneered a style of rugby that works for a mid-table premiership side, the entire England national team should be forced to play it, even if it takes them years to learn it, and lose almost all their matches in the process?

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