Page 20 - Irish Examiner USA

sportsexaminer
20

2020 Eddie Jones Cautious About

12th,

February Expansion Of Six Nations

|
ddie Jones has cautioned the Six
EXAMINER Ecompetition after reveling in a
Nations against expanding the

wrestle between England and Scotland
played in atrocious conditions.
Tournament organizers have dis-
IRISH tanced themselves from a report stat-
ing South Africa would join a new
extended format in 2024 after revealing
the proposal has not been discussed.
But calls to increase the number of
sides involved persist with Japan and
Georgia placed alongside the
Springboks in being seen as suitable
additions.
England revived their title ambi-
tions by reclaiming the Calcutta Cup in
an ugly 13-6 victory that unfolded at a
hostile Murrayfield and Jones believes
tinkering with a winning format is ill-
advised.
“It’s called the greatest rugby tour- become a lot more physical and it’s France in Paris. have the ball.
nament in the world and I think it is. So only going to get more so. “I loved it. Rugby is a winter sport. “We got a kick in the guts against
why would you want to add other “You don’t want this type of game Until we make it a summer sport we France last weekend and you have to
teams that are going to decrease the every week, but southern hemisphere should be playing in winter condi- pull yourself together.
level of competition,” Jones said. coaches certainly admire the Six tions,” he said. “We probably thought we did well
“I can only talk from experience. Nations. “It was fantastic. The players have finishing the World Cup as finalists and
Super Rugby was the golden egg of “From the first Six Nations I did to got to adapt to the conditions and find weren’t right on the job.
rugby – brilliant, 12 teams, competi- now, I think we’ve seen a general rise a way to win. It’s the most intriguing “To come up here and do that after
tive. As soon as it had gone to 14 and in the quality of the teams. rugby. we got a bit of a kick in the guts against
15, it had lost its allure. “Ireland, Wales, Scotland, England “It’s a pretty simple game in those France is one of the most satisfying
“You want the best teams playing – they are all operating at a high level conditions. You want the opposition to wins we’ve had.” C
against each other. There’s something now. The gap between the teams is so
about the Six Nations – because of the small.” “You want the best teams
history of the relationships between Swirling wind and incessant rain
the nations, it makes it more outstand- brought by Storm Ciara destroyed playing against each other. There’s
ing. Saturday’s clash as a spectacle and
“Someone was giving me a history prompted questions on whether more something about the Six Nations –
lesson on Scotland and the number of grounds should should the Principality
different things that have happened in Stadium in fitting a roof. because of the history of the
the rivalry with England. So there’s a But Jones, who saw replacement
lot of meaning to a lot of people for a prop Ellis Genge pile over for the deci- relationships between the nations,
game like this. sive try in the 70th minute, saw only
“The competition is much harder positives as England relaunched their it makes it more outstanding.”
contested than the World Cup. It’s title quest six days after losing 24-17 to

T h e E x a m i n e r P u z z l e S o l u t i o n s

Solution to this Week’s Solution to this Week’s Easy Su Solution to this Week’s Medium
Crossword Doku Puzzle Su Doku Puzzle