Share

Jones aims for top 10 spot

Tokyo - Eddie Jones, who was Monday named as Japan's new head coach, vowed to make the Brave Blossoms one of the world's best teams by the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England.

"Our target is to be in the top 10," the 51-year-old Australian, who guided the Wallabies to the 2003 World Cup final, said as the Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU) announced his appointment to the job for four years from next April.

"We need to develop the style of play that suits Japanese players, that allows us to beat countries (like) Scotland and Wales," said Jones, who was technical adviser to South Africa when they won the 2007 World Cup in France.

"We'll quickly identify 30 or 40 players that we are going to (take to) the next World Cup, get them to understand the Japanese way of rugby. It's going to be a very exciting four years."

Asian champions Japan's best world ranking was 12th in mid-2010. They are currently ranked 15th under All Blacks legend John Kirwan.

"The first thing we have to do is to have a very good set piece" if the team is to beat physically superior sides, Jones said. "So we got to be technically good. We got to be smart. And we got to be inventive."

He added his side should "use the ball creatively... and always keep the opposition guessing."

Jones, whose mother is half Japanese and whose wife is Japanese, has been managing the country's Top League side Suntory Sungoliath since 2009.

In the 2010-2011 season, Suntory finished runners-up in the Top League and won the separate national championship under Jones. This season they are currently leading the Top League after eight straight wins.

Jones said it will be necessary for the Blossoms to play strong sides in "important test matches."

"So over three years, we'll play Scotland or Wales at (Tokyo's) Chichibunomiya ground," he said.

He emerged as Kirwan's likely successor after Japan came home winless from the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Japan will host the World Cup in 2019 and will be looking to avoid the embarrassment of becoming the first host country to fail to make the knockout stages.

Kirwan failed to break the Brave Blossoms' 20-year World Cup win drought at the New Zealand tournament. He opted not to seek a new contract when his current five-year deal expires at the end of this month.

Jones said he might not use so many foreign-born players in his squad as Kirwan did.

Kirwan picked a record 10 foreign-born players, half of whom have obtained Japanese nationality, for his World Cup squad. The previous highest was seven, also selected by the New Zealander for the tournament's 2007 edition.

"The colour of the team is going to be Japanese," Jones said, adding he would still use foreign talent if they proved useful.

He said under his leadership the Brave Blossoms would be aiming to win all their matches.

"Definitely, we want to beat the All Blacks at the next World Cup," he said. "Realistically, we know that might be difficult. But that's how we got to think."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
50% - 8 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
50% - 8 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE