Eddie Jones is Not a Traitor
Former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has been labelled a traitor by the media and the hierarchy of the Australian Rugby Union, most notably John O'Neill all because he has been working with the South African Springboks coach Jake White and Springboks team and is about sign a deal with them as the Daily Telegraph reports today.
As far as I can tell, Eddie Jones is in no way a traitor to the Wallabies or to the ARU as he was sacked and replaced by the current Wallabies coach John Connolly and he quit his job as the coach of the Queensland Reds, all Jones is doing by helping coach the Springboks is earning a wage to support his family like everyone else is entitled to and for that I don’t think it is appropriate or fair to label a coach, who got the Wallabies to the 2003 Rugby World Cup final, a traitor just because he has found another job in a sport he loves, only it is in a different country
We don't hear the same whinging about our Australian cricket coaches coaching other international sides like Geoff Lawson who was just recently given the job of coaching the Pakistan side, another Aussie, Dav Whatmore coaches the Bangladesh cricket team etc and do they get labelled 'traitors'? I wouldn't think so, so it is certainly hypocritical of the media to label Eddie Jones a traitor when all he is doing is ensuring that he and his family have food on the table every night and a roof over their heads.
All the media and others are doing by calling Eddie Jones a traitor is showing their hypocrisy and conveniently forgetting that Australia have coaches in all sports coaching other countries so why shouldn't rugby be any different?
As far as I can tell, Eddie Jones is in no way a traitor to the Wallabies or to the ARU as he was sacked and replaced by the current Wallabies coach John Connolly and he quit his job as the coach of the Queensland Reds, all Jones is doing by helping coach the Springboks is earning a wage to support his family like everyone else is entitled to and for that I don’t think it is appropriate or fair to label a coach, who got the Wallabies to the 2003 Rugby World Cup final, a traitor just because he has found another job in a sport he loves, only it is in a different country
We don't hear the same whinging about our Australian cricket coaches coaching other international sides like Geoff Lawson who was just recently given the job of coaching the Pakistan side, another Aussie, Dav Whatmore coaches the Bangladesh cricket team etc and do they get labelled 'traitors'? I wouldn't think so, so it is certainly hypocritical of the media to label Eddie Jones a traitor when all he is doing is ensuring that he and his family have food on the table every night and a roof over their heads.
All the media and others are doing by calling Eddie Jones a traitor is showing their hypocrisy and conveniently forgetting that Australia have coaches in all sports coaching other countries so why shouldn't rugby be any different?
I enjoy reading rational and logical posts on Orble. (They're few and far between).
You make great analogies to other sports (like Cricket) as well. I mean, no-one's complaining about Gus Hiddink (just Graeme Arnold?).
In terms of Rugby? I'm a bit of an amatuer. If you want to thrash out this argument? Go to DuskDevi's Rucks and Rolls Rugby Blog.
It's a sad fact of life but I have to admit a woman knows more about me than a certain code of sport. It's the only concession she's getting though. She'll only get carried away again.
David ...
Rucks and Rolls
Rugby World Cup 2007
Although I am not a fan of Eddie Jones...you'll find
that the media is actually having a laugh at John O'Neill's (ARU CEO & MD & resident idiot)
expense.
The points you present are valid and correct.
It's just that, with this being World Cup year and
the Boks being in the form they are...well, some
of the 'fear' is justifiable. To an extent.
I guess the fear is, that because Jones hates the
ARU, he will 'betray' secrets (like player weakness,
etc).
It's just a case of big egos and bigger
mouths. (see this post)
...because hell, the ARU hired John Mitchell as an Australian Super 14 team coach (Western Force)
after he was sacked as All Blacks coach following
the RWC 03 and that was deemed okay because
we're the ones doing the poaching.
...Rugby-ites are all feeling very patriotic at the
moment but we'd take Jones over O'Neill any day.
Excellent post. As David says...a rational and
logical point of view.
Be well.
DuskDevi