The players are never your friends, says England coach Eddie Jones
The 56-year-old denies ruling with an iron rod but admits it is healthy for his charges to have a ‘certain level of discomfort’
England rugby union coach Eddie Jones has denied he is ruling with an iron rod but insisted keeping one’s distance from the players is key to being a success.
The 56-year-old Australian – who has resurrected England’s fortunes since the abject failure of the 2015 World Cup hosts to get past the first hurdle – told BBC radio there was no harm in making the players feel ill at ease.
That strategy appears to have worked since he replaced Stuart Lancaster as England swept to the Six Nations grand slam and whitewashed World Cup finalists Australia 3-0 on the Wallabies home turf.
“I don’t think they [the players] are frightened but in any high-performance environment you need a certain level of discomfort,” he said.
“As a coach, the players are never your friends.
