Eddie Jones coaches Boks

Former Wallaby coach Eddie Jones, wearing a Bok tracksuit, helped out at Springbok training at Bishops in Cape town on Monday.

“It’s a little different. But I enjoy it and it gives me an opportunity to learn from Jake and the Springboks. We are exchanging ideas,” said Jones.

“We are looking at aspects involving attacking and tactical play.

“I have done the same with Italy, Samoa, Tonga and Fiji. I’ll be here for only a week before I go to England. I have signed a four-year contract with Saracens.”

Bok coach Jake White revealed his respect for Jones’ technical knowledge and was convinced that he could add value to the Springbok World Cup preparations.

“I can’t expect Eddie to divulge any secrets. He coached teams against us for three years and will have opinions about our strengths and weaknesses,” said White.

“His team lost the previous World Cup final as a result of a drop-goal. He has great experience. He will be able to share with us the mistakes that were made and the things that he picked up along the way.

“I have always found Eddie’s analysis of us to be the most difficult to counter and I have huge respect for his technical knowledge.

“As Bok coach, Eddie’s Wallabies were the toughest of all our opposition and that was down to his strategic approach and fantastic knowledge of the game.

“I believe he can give us a very different insight because there is no emotional attachment and he’ll pretty much call it as he sees it.”

“We have formed a close unit over the last four years and the players are very confident in their own ability. As coaches we are very close to the squad, so it just may be that you don’t see something you should or you don’t want to see it.

“Getting a guy with Eddie’s expertise to have a look will jolt any complacency if we’ve allowed this to creep in.

“He’ll give us a perspective, just like David Campese did for the Sharks, as New Zealanders Graham Henry and Steve Hansen did when coaching Wales, as Australian Scott Johnstone did when coaching Wales.

“It is a professional game and if someone of Eddie’s ability is available as a short-term consultant then I am going to make use of him.

“In my four years with the Boks, I’ve consulted with a variety of people in South Africa and abroad, but it is not something that is always going to be public knowledge.

“If I feel the need to bring someone in for a day or a week, as is the case with Eddie, then I will do it. If there is benefit to our World Cup hopes, then I’ll explore it. I know we’ll get benefit from Eddie’s week with us. He’s a smart man who’ll give us something to think about,” concluded White.