JOE SCHMIDT SAYS he had a long conversation with Felix Jones this week after the Dubliner was appointed to South Africa’s coaching ticket for the World Cup.
It was a call that, presumably, didn’t require Jones to duck and dodge belated attempts to place an injunction on the intellectual property he has collected during his career in the Irish system.
The former Munster and Ireland fullback, who was forced to retire at age 29 due to a neck injury, has quickly emerged as an astute coach.
Rassie Erasmus is clearly among his fans, as the current Springboks director of rugby has handed him a job for the second time – filling in a gap in South Africa’s coaching ticket after the withdrawal of attack coach Swys de Bruin on medical grounds.
During his stint coaching Munster under Erasmus, Jones was among a trio of coaches invited to steep themselves in Ireland’s preparation for the summer tour of the USA and Japan.
That experience inside the inner circle, coupled with Ireland facing a potential quarter-final against the ‘Boks, has made Schmidt sit somewhat uneasily.
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“It’s an awkward situation with Felix,” the Kiwi said after naming his line-up to face Wales, “it’s a fantastic opportunity for him to go to a World Cup with a team that are on a massive upward swing…”
The question on the former Munster man came as late in the day as South Africa’s backroom roster tweak, so before Schmidt could speak further about the strong position the Springboks are in, he was pressed on his use of the word ‘awkward’.
James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
“It’s awkward because – you don’t have to be a rocket scientist - he came with us to Japan the last time, so he was right in amongst us. So you don’t really have to ask, do you?
“He was with us, he’s seen everything that we deliver and would have a great knowledge of even the language we use in our camp, so it’s awkward for us.
”There were a couple of opportunities here, but I’d be a massive fan of what Felix has got to offer in the future, and it will be a great learning experience for him.”
“I just hope that we don’t suffer as a consequence because he’s a smart coach, he already knows a lot about us and, if we do get to a quarter-final it has to be either New Zealand or South Africa or Italy that we do play against. That would mean he could be directly opposite us on the coaching bench.”
Jones knowing ‘the language’ of Ireland camp likely extends to on-field play calling given he was in the mainframe with Munster until this summer. However, Schmidt insists he won’t change that ‘language’ at this stage. Doing so would add clutter for his players, and he feels the added IP in enemy camp might just muddle their own clarity.
“Things happen so fast and sometimes if you have some prior knowledge and you say ‘this means that’ and ‘that means this’, sometimes when you’re fatigued you’re adding clutter, and not giving clarity.
“In the end you need to be clear. So if (South Africa) become too cluttered, that might be a good thing.”
The Kiwi adds: “I can’t control what Jonesy does. Those days are gone. Once he played full-back for me and I had a little bit of influence…
“Having coached him, he’s a champion player, a champion bloke and I think he’s going to be a really good coach. I just hope he delays that by a couple of months and is pretty average for the next two months. That would be good.”
Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey and Bernard Jackman try to identify how Ireland can get back on track after Twickenham.
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Felix Jones with Springboks an 'awkward' challenge for Schmidt
LAST UPDATE | 30 Aug 2019
JOE SCHMIDT SAYS he had a long conversation with Felix Jones this week after the Dubliner was appointed to South Africa’s coaching ticket for the World Cup.
It was a call that, presumably, didn’t require Jones to duck and dodge belated attempts to place an injunction on the intellectual property he has collected during his career in the Irish system.
The former Munster and Ireland fullback, who was forced to retire at age 29 due to a neck injury, has quickly emerged as an astute coach.
Rassie Erasmus is clearly among his fans, as the current Springboks director of rugby has handed him a job for the second time – filling in a gap in South Africa’s coaching ticket after the withdrawal of attack coach Swys de Bruin on medical grounds.
During his stint coaching Munster under Erasmus, Jones was among a trio of coaches invited to steep themselves in Ireland’s preparation for the summer tour of the USA and Japan.
That experience inside the inner circle, coupled with Ireland facing a potential quarter-final against the ‘Boks, has made Schmidt sit somewhat uneasily.
“It’s an awkward situation with Felix,” the Kiwi said after naming his line-up to face Wales, “it’s a fantastic opportunity for him to go to a World Cup with a team that are on a massive upward swing…”
The question on the former Munster man came as late in the day as South Africa’s backroom roster tweak, so before Schmidt could speak further about the strong position the Springboks are in, he was pressed on his use of the word ‘awkward’.
“It’s awkward because – you don’t have to be a rocket scientist - he came with us to Japan the last time, so he was right in amongst us. So you don’t really have to ask, do you?
“He was with us, he’s seen everything that we deliver and would have a great knowledge of even the language we use in our camp, so it’s awkward for us.
”There were a couple of opportunities here, but I’d be a massive fan of what Felix has got to offer in the future, and it will be a great learning experience for him.”
“I just hope that we don’t suffer as a consequence because he’s a smart coach, he already knows a lot about us and, if we do get to a quarter-final it has to be either New Zealand or South Africa or Italy that we do play against. That would mean he could be directly opposite us on the coaching bench.”
Jones knowing ‘the language’ of Ireland camp likely extends to on-field play calling given he was in the mainframe with Munster until this summer. However, Schmidt insists he won’t change that ‘language’ at this stage. Doing so would add clutter for his players, and he feels the added IP in enemy camp might just muddle their own clarity.
“Things happen so fast and sometimes if you have some prior knowledge and you say ‘this means that’ and ‘that means this’, sometimes when you’re fatigued you’re adding clutter, and not giving clarity.
“In the end you need to be clear. So if (South Africa) become too cluttered, that might be a good thing.”
The Kiwi adds: “I can’t control what Jonesy does. Those days are gone. Once he played full-back for me and I had a little bit of influence…
“Having coached him, he’s a champion player, a champion bloke and I think he’s going to be a really good coach. I just hope he delays that by a couple of months and is pretty average for the next two months. That would be good.”
Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey and Bernard Jackman try to identify how Ireland can get back on track after Twickenham.
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