Tonight's rugby news as Eddie Jones points finger at WRU and Farrell demands abuse stops
These are the rugby stories making headlines on the evening of Thursday, July 3
Head coach Eddie Jones of Japan
(Image:)
These are your evening headlines on Thursday, July 3
Jones points finger at WRU
Japan coach Eddie Jones says that the responsibility for Wales' decline in rugby lies with the Welsh Rugby Union, as he compared their rebuild to his own with Japan.
The last time Jones faced Wales, he was in another job - taking on Warren Gatland's side in the 2023 World Cup pool stages with Australia in France. Wales ran out comfortable 40-6 winners over the Wallabies that night in Lyon, but have won just once since - going on to lose 17 Test matches in a row.
That has seen them tumble down the rankings, currently sitting just one place above Japan, while Jones' old adversary Gatland left earlier this year - with a replacement yet to be found. Defeat on Saturday would see them fall below Japan in the rankings for the first time.
This current Wales side is perhaps a far cry from previous sides that Jones has faced, but he admitted rebuilds are a part of sport as he added the onus is on governing bodies to make them as painless as possible. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack for the exclusive five-week tour diary from Japan and Australia.
"The state of rugby at the moment is that if you are not continually rebuilding and you allow your team to go the nth degree which has happened to Wales and Japan where you had the oldest and second oldest squads at the 2023 World Cup then the next rebuilding period is tough," said Jones, although they weren't actually the oldest and second oldest squads in France two years ago.
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"Wales play in the Six Nations and that is the most unforgiving competition in the world and it is a difficult period in the world.
"I am sure there will be some learnings for the Union about how to manage the situation better and we are going through the same situation here.
"It is an unusual situation where you have two teams in almost the same state of development playing against each other.
"So I think, just following on from that responsibility lies with the national unions to having a more strategic approach to development.
"I think that's really important and having visited Scarlets this year, I saw a number of good young players coming through, and I'm sure if Wales can get through this period, they're going to have another period of success further down the track."
Wales have been handed a warm reception in Kitakyushu, the city where they were based during the 2019 World Cup. It's even been suggested that a high number of the 15,000 crowd on Saturday will be supporting Wales rather than Japan.
However, when it came to the warm welcome Matt Sherratt's side have been receiving, the former England and Wallabies coach believed any local support for Wales would only serve to galvanise his Brave Blossoms ahead of Saturday's first Test at Mikuni World Stadium.
"In terms of Wales and Kitakyushu I really don't have any interest in that. We are just concentrating on ourselves," he added.
"We have made sure we have used every day of the 20 days we have had together to maximise our ability to take the opportunity against Wales and we are looking forward to that.
"If the crowd sings loudly the Welsh national anthem I am sure the pride of our players is going to be even stronger."
Jones has been preparing his side to take on Wales in sweltering conditions on Saturday, with the Brave Blossoms head coach understood to have been insistent on a 2pm local kick-off time despite the chance cooling breaks and a longer half-time could be needed.
His side have spent this week on Kyushu Island, undergoing a training camp in Miyazaki.
"We know Kitakyushu is going to be difficult conditions for both teams and the team that handles the conditions the best will win the game," said Jones.
"We have good preparation for the game. We have prepared in the heat to play against Wales in those conditions.
"In terms of the conditions here we could not ask for more in terms of hot.
"It has been 32C every time we train. The ball is like a cake of soap and we have wet the field so it has made the conditions difficult for the players.
"We can't do any more heat acclimatisation than we have done so we are ready to go."
Farrell calls for end to abuse
By Duncan Bech, PA Rugby Union Correspondent, Sydney
Andy Farrell has urged British and Irish Lions fans to get behind his son Owen's shock call-up to Australia in the hope he escapes the type of negativity he faced at the 2023 World Cup.
Farrell said he had 'no hesitation' summoning the former England captain once it became clear that Elliot Daly must return home because of a fractured forearm sustained against the Queensland Reds on Wednesday.
The Lions are reeling from the news that Daly's third tour is over just as he was playing his way into the Test team, robbing them of a player Andy Farrell described as a 'legend' for the elite of British and Irish rugby.
But rather than replacing him with a similar alternative such as Wales' Blair Murray or Scotland's Tom Jordan, Andy Farrell has turned to a 33-year-old whose last Test was at the World Cup almost two years ago.
Owen Farrell was booed by England fans during the tournament and became a target on social media, which his father described as a 'disgusting circus', and he stepped back from the international game to prioritise his mental wellbeing before joining French club Racing 92.
A polarising figure, he is now en route to Australia where Andy Farrell wants his prior treatment to be consigned to the past.
'I hope people can get past that. There has been a lot of that nonsense for some time,' the Lions head coach said.
'That was in the past. We all just need to move on and embrace what the Lions is all about and what we have got coming ahead.
'We feel that the timing is right now, that we can all move on and push on, not just with Owen's career but what we're trying to achieve here with the Lions.'
Owen Farrell will arrive in Sydney on Friday, bringing with him the experience accumulated during 112 caps for England, whom he captained from 2018 to 2023.
He will be embarking on his fourth Lions tour having made six Test appearances across the 2013, 2017 and 2021 expeditions and will bring leadership, experience and organisation.
However, his ill-fated season at French club Racing 92 was undermined by injuries and indifferent form and he missed the end of the season with a concussion sustained on May 4. He has since rejoined Saracens.
'Owen's fit or else he wouldn't be picked. I know that the guys have been keeping close touch with him in regard to that and he's been training full bore for quite some time now,' Andy Farrell said.
'He's the right man at this moment in time for us. We know how much he looks after himself and prides himself on keeping in good nick anyway.
'At this stage there are plenty of players who haven't played for quite some time and experience – knowing what you can do – helps in that regard.'
Saturday's clash with New South Wales Waratahs has come too soon and the third match in Australia will see Ireland's Tadhg Beirne take charge.
Blair Kinghorn and Hugo Keenan will make their Lions debuts on the left wing and at full-back respectively.
Townsend not thinking about his future
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend says he hasn't really contemplated his future despite speculation around his position.
Townsend's current contract comes to an end at the end of next year's Six Nations. He has held the role since 2017.
Scotland are in New Zealand this summer and talks are planned between Townsend and Scottish Rugby chief executive Alex Williamson at some point during the tour.
For now, though, Townsend is remaining tight-lipped.
'Well, it's not really been discussed, it's not something that tends to get discussed when we're in campaigns," he said.
'We don't have the time, really, and the focus is on making sure we prepare the team as well as we can this week and over the next two weeks.
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'Honestly, it's not something I've thought that much about. A lot goes into preparation for a tour and then on tour, and there'll be plenty of time to discuss whether Scottish Rugby feel that they want me to continue and also what I want to do at the end of my contract. But it won't be something that will be decided over the next few weeks.'
Asked if he was keen to remain in charge for the 2027 World Cup, Townsend added: 'As I said, it's not something I've spent a lot of time thinking about. This job gives me a huge purpose in my life, but it also demands a lot of energy. And just now all my energy is going into helping the other coaches and the team.'
Glasgow head coach Franco Smith has been linked with the head coach role.
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