BRIAN O’DRISCOLL HAS accused Eddie Jones of “scaremongering” and admitted he relished the sight of the England head coach’s comments backfiring so spectacularly in France earlier this month.
Not for the first time, Jones’ attempts at mind-games backfired spectacularly earlier this month when he pledged England would use “absolute brutality” to defeat the French in Paris. They lost 24-17.
Now it’s Ireland on the Jones agenda. Four years ago, in the lead-in to that year’s fixture, Jones said Johnny Sexton’s parents should be worried for their son’s safety, because of the number of head injuries he had suffered.
Ireland legend O’Driscoll said: “Eddie says some things that overstep the mark sometimes.
He said something about Johnny Sexton and brought his mum and dad into it four years ago. That’s not benefiting or building the game – that’s scaremongering.
“We don’t want that – we’re trying to help the product, not hinder it. Sometimes he gets it wrong.
“I think the stuff about brutality is harmless enough – particularly when you get your backside handed to you after the game so we can all have a good chuckle about it.
“There are many different sides to Eddie. He is quite calculated with his words. There are certain things that are close to the edge.”
Brian O’Driscoll was speaking at the Laureus Sports Awards in Berlin.
Jones was out of order bringing Sexton’s parents into it but that was four years ago?! No need to still harp on about it, surely!
Drico is one of our greatest ever players but he’s a bit painful to listen to at times. Suppose he has to keep himself relevant with his media comments. Don’t remember him commenting about a former team mate of his urinating on people in a pub – I think that’s worse than anything Jones has ever said in fairness.
@Robb Stark: The manner in which you contradict yourself is incredibly ironic.
Unfortunately, England will win comfortably enough so who cares what EJ says.
@Scoozie: England will do well to get a win at all, we are resurgent under Farrell and getting back to our 2018 form. Meanwhile Jones team seem jaded after the WC and their bullying style of play not so effective
@Scoozie: course they will ireland by 8 points
@Aaron Buckley: resurgent? We beat Scotland without their best player and wales at home under a new coach too…
@Aaron Buckley: I’d say you thought Ireland would win the World Cup as well, how did that go? #deludedirishrugbysupporter
@Danny O’Riordan: at the start of 2019 we were second favourites with NZ to win the WC with the bookies and in general with all expert opinion.
There was nothing deluded about it.
No one could have predicted how bad we deteriorated at the end of Schmidt’s reign. And saying so after the fact as if you were in the know all along is just juvenile
Has this clown not learned to shut up before england games yet?
@Darren World: I’m guessing nobody likes you.
He’s got a touch of paul scoleseosis – a genius with his mouth shut, an idiot with it open.
Leave it out Drico …don’t be starting hullabaloo before a Ball is kicked…anyway that was way back
And so it begins opening salvo BOD ,response Jones etc ….back and forth ,
Which will Eddie hopes distract everybody from will Tuilagi play and is Vunipola available I heard he went South to attend a Funeral?
People who make a living from talking about rugby make stupid statements prior to a game. Why would anyone take any of this shit seriously? Chill people, let’s see how we go on Sunday before commenting on this bullshit.