Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Why Eddie Jones wants 'nothing to do with New Zealand players'

By AAP
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has distanced himself from a southern hemisphere all-stars side that will play the British and Irish Lions in Adelaide in one of nine games on the 2025 tour of Australia. Fixtures for the hotly anticipated visit were confirmed in Brisbane on Wednesday, exactly two years before the Lions’ clash with the Wallabies at the nearby Suncorp Stadium.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Lions will play three Tests – they will also face the Wallabies at the MCG and Sydney’s Accor Stadium – face all five Australian Super Rugby clubs and, for the first time since 1989, line up against an Australian and New Zealand combined XV.

But new Rugby Australia boss Phil Waugh even hinted at Wednesday’s launch that South African and Argentinian talent could also feature in the combined side in the Adelaide Oval exhibition.

Video Spacer

Eddie Jones loses his temper during Wallabies’ defeat to Los Pumas

Video Spacer

Eddie Jones loses his temper during Wallabies’ defeat to Los Pumas

Combining the best players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the Lions tour either Australia, New Zealand or South Africa every four years. They beat Australia 2-1 on their last visit in 2013, losing to the Brumbies en route. The Wallabies won the previous tour, 12 years earlier, 2-1.

Armed with a famously passionate travelling contingent, the Lions remain one of world rugby’s greatest drawcards. The tour is hoped to supercharge the code’s coffers and generate interest ahead of Australia hosting the men’s World Cup in 2027, the women’s World Cup in 2029 and the Brisbane Olympics in 2032.

Related

Jones sneered when asked if he would be involved in picking the team, saying he wanted “nothing to do with New Zealand players” and that he would have preferred an Australia A side play the Lions as they did on their last visit. “It’s an opportunity missed,” he said before pumping up the significance of the Lions’ visit.

“It’s a real drama; 40,000 from the northern hemisphere set out on a rugby party across Australia. And it’s like a career-best for you as a player… Justin Harrison made his name, Joe Roff, people remember those players for the rest of their lives and they sit in the history of the game.”

ADVERTISEMENT

The British and Irish Lions chief executive Ben Calveley said he had the backing of the Premiership Rugby and URC clubs to ensure the Lions enjoyed a thorough preparation window.

“That gives us the best possible chance of a series victory,” he said. “Our ambition is to further build upon this position and make this upcoming tour the greatest Lions tour ever.”

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

10 Comments
F
Fils 428 days ago

It might be because Eddie kicked the kiwis out, not once but twice, of WCR in 2003 and 2019?

B
Bill 431 days ago

Most New Zealand players want nothing to Eddie Jones

N
Neville 431 days ago

He's so funny that he uses a car to explain why his team is playing shi_ even his captain looked a bit weird when he was carrying on like a pork chop time to go Eddie, as your Datsun 12 await you

P
Poe 432 days ago

Jones the idiot shooting his silly mouth off for cheap media coverage. Someone tell him where the Anzac thing came from. 'king stupid little man.

T
Tristan 432 days ago

Is that because Eddie knows that the best ANZAC 23 would have few Australian players in it? It would also have a Kiwi coach....

Load More Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

W
Werner 52 minutes ago
Everyone knows the Springboks' ranking was puffed up

I can't talk to rassies video ahead of the series as there was next to no coverage available locally for me. On the pool match again I think this is taking rassies words to hold more power than they do. If anyone else had said that about Scotland, Ireland would have brushed it aside. I mean he was asked point blank by the journos his thoughts and I mean what would be the right answer to give? He could have down played it and if Ireland lost would be have a similar argument. But truth is that was one of the best Scottish teams to be out to a RWC in recent memory and I would agree that they shouldn't have been taken lightly.


Problem is not the talent coming through in Ireland it's how and when they are getting their experience in tier 1 rugby. problem with the current system is it doesn't allow for any mentoring by the 1st team or opportunity to adapt to the higher pace and pressure. There's a big difference between playing in an emerging Ireland tour and being dropped in a must win six nations game. Need to find the balance of introducing young players to key games and keeping experience and cool heads on the field to guide and mentor them. URC has definitely stepped up recently but does also create an additional layer of "us vs them" mentality with the provinces, so building combinations gets tricky if not done right and can lead to over indexing in selection of one province rather than the best player

241 Go to comments
T
Terry24 1 hour ago
Everyone knows the Springboks' ranking was puffed up

Rassie's video before the Series matches kept implying that Ireland were arrogant and needed taking down: 'unfinished business'.

Etzebeth's attack on the Irish team and DeAllende's attack on the Irish media had exactly the same theme: arrogance. It's not a coincidence. Obviously you don't spend an entire article attacking a country but you drop in an insult which is exactly what DeAllende did. Out of the blue about Irish arrogance continuing a theme that Rassie knows irritates Ireland, since NZ media started it after the series in NZ 2022. (It irritates Ireland because its completely untrue).

In the RWC Rassie (and Foster) kept publicly saying that Ireland were not respecting/needed to respect Scotland. This is blatant interference in two pool competitors match. Ireland fell for this and oput way too much into the Scotland match instead of viewing it as a match to be one minimally with the ultimate test coming 6-7 days later against NZ needing all reserves.

I am surprized at your comment re Ireland. Didn't you see many of our young reserves on the team that beat SA in Durban? There are a load more coming through in all positions: the opening round of the URC was an eye opener with the performance of Irish teams and young Irish players. These players are playing for emerging Ireland, Irish wolfhounds, U20s etc. They are well enconced in the system before they get their international caps.

241 Go to comments
W
Werner 2 hours ago
Everyone knows the Springboks' ranking was puffed up

I think you give way too much creedence to the conspiracies about rassies off field tactics and mind games. not sure what was to be gained from him sending out DDA and Eben to 'disrespect' Ireland. If you read DDA interview he's actually very respectful to the Irish team and keeps stating how tough and dominant they are and how forward he looks to and epic battle. So again not sure what bridges he burnt. Rassies tactics have always been about motivating his team, yes perhaps using fictitious storylines but they have never been about distracting or disrespecting the opposition and not meant for airing in public.


Before you mention his lions tour video rant that was not to get under the lions skin but instead to get a reaction from world rugby and the refs. To this day I don't think I've seen another ref laugh at or brush off one Kolisi questions since... So mission accomplished.


Nienaber and Jones have strong accolades in their own rights but don't write off Rassie as someone who rides coat tales and don't discount how he has helped develop and sponsor them. His track record speaks for itself. Remembering his skill set isn't tactics and strategies it's build teams and support systems. SA have in large part him to thank for their approach to player depth and success of their rush defense, with all the ground work and systems he put in place across WP, the Free state and during his tenure as technical assistant to SA.


In terms of their future I'd say it's looking bright. Barring the Argentinian game there has been a lot of points left on the field by the boks and with time some of those players will gel and start converting those points. I wish I was as optimistic about Ireland however I'm growing more and more nervous that Schmidt aversion for blooding new players has hampered Ireland's depth and hamstrung Farrel, in particular across the backline. Larmour, Keenan, Frawley and Crowley should all have gotten call ups earlier than they did to start getting mentored and engrained in the team. Seem to be the only team in WR to debut players only after they turn 22 y.o

241 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Harri Deaves: 'It is a dream of mine to one day play for my country.' Harri Deaves: 'It is a dream of mine to one day play for my country.'
Search