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Right everybody - having perused these pages the last few month I reckon we need a STW Rugby Thread Code of Conduct so that nobody is ever offended or even mildly irritated.
Here are some suggestions:
Any reference to any previous match results or incidents to be avoided in case it causes any member anxiety, despair or nationalistic/ethnic/rascist outrage.
No admittance that rugby is a physical game and that some of the blokes who play it can be a bit naughty.
The word "gypsy" to be replaced with "decent honest travelling folk".
The ethnic slur "Jock" to be replaced with "J-Word".
The word "sw**ty" to be replaced with "perspiration filled" and only used to refer to actual smelly items of clothing.
The words "Welsh, Scottish, English and Irish" to be replaced with "valued members of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland."
No reference to any colour whatsoever, including describing team shirts.
Everyone has to agree with what everyone else says.
Nothing of any interest to be said at all
That should cover it.....
in other news, Care starts for England.
No other changes.
Twodogs - MemberAnyway, anyone else disappointed that Gatland hasn't taken the chance to bring more young players in for the Italy game? The next World Cup is just around the corner.....
My thoughts exactly. There's an exciting looking young winger down in the Scarlets who could probably do with twenty minutes experience of an international and on current form might be a better starting bet than Amos. (I've totally forgotten his name..) And plenty of back-row options who could do with some experience.
No other changes.
Errr.....except for Vunipola at loosehead with Marler dropping to the bench. 😉
t everybody - having perused these pages the last few month I reckon we need a STW Rugby Thread Code of Conduct so that nobody is ever offended or even mildly irritated.
I seem to upset most people from time to time, does that mean I'm banned ?
Just spoke to Mrs B about the term gypsy, not one she knows as in France they are called "Roma" (from equivalent of Romany). Genuine question, would Roma be offensive as it seems to me closer to calling someone English ?
did I miss the bit about traveller history where they were sold into slavery, murdered, burned and segregated, and in some cases still are now?
You must have done yes.
The apology was accepted. What's the point of punitive action if the matter is already resolved?
Because the public slur offends or potentially does go beyond just Samson when its on national tv.
Could you start another thread about it and and leave this one to discuss rugby?
on current form might be a better starting bet than Amos.
Amos is a quality very young player. I'm happy to see him start. Glad to see Moriarty bench. Not sure who these other back row options are? Little Jiffies little brother is just back from injury, not sure he is international class. Makes Tips look like a power house, cant think of any others demanding selection.
Still we have a 3 test tour in NZ to blood some youngsters this summer...dear god who's idea was that!!
zokes - Still not a customer
Is this not just classic victim blamingNo, it's classic A_A can't quite bring himself to agree with me.
Posted 1 hour ago #
Did you join this thread just to troll AA? (AGAIN)
Because the public slur offends or potentially does go beyond just Samson when its on national tv.
And punitive action rectifies that how?
I seem to upset most people from time to time, does that mean I'm banned ?
Yes. With time added on for previous bad behaviour. 😆
Still we have a 3 test tour in NZ to blood some youngsters this summer...dear god who's idea was that!!
Probably the same bean-counter who thought playing multiple matches (mostly against Australia) outside the IRB window was also a good idea.
Youngs had a good game against Wales but sill threw some outrageous hospital passes that stalled our attack a few times. I'm glad to see Care start.
And punitive action rectifies that how?
Same as aby other pubishment. Attempts to correct the behaviour of the offender and sends a warning to others who may do the same.
Did you join this thread just to troll AA? (AGAIN)
I requested my ban three pages ago when he arrived!
Wrecker I'm sure you are a regular socialist worker reader but just in case you missed it
https://socialistworker.co.uk/art/25533/A+history+of+racism+against+Travellers+and+Gypsies
Its actually quite interesting.
Youngs had a good game against Wales but sill threw some outrageous hospital passes that stalled our attack a few times. I'm glad to see Care start.
Some of his passing is truly awful; the ball is often lobbed out from a ruck often at head of feet height. It's a running joke with the Tigers fans I work with. Saying that, I agree that he did have one of his better games on Saturday.
It'll be interesting if one of the other 9's gets a shot in the summer - surely Youngs will need a rest. He's played a lot of rugby in the last year.
Youngs had a good game against Wales but sill threw some outrageous hospital passes that stalled our attack a few times. I'm glad to see Care start.
I'd have thought Care was worth a shot earlier as Youngs has been struggling for form for a while now, but he still comes with the risk of missing a 5 on 1 overlap to dive in to the only defender around the edge of a ruck or ruin a kickable penalty by taking it quickly and getting isolated. He does however make things happen (much like Youngs when on form) and have a bit of spark about him... plus if he can throw a decent pass then it wouldn't hurt to have him in 🙂
It'll be interesting if one of the other 9's gets a shot in the summer
As before, I'd love to see Joe Simpson have a decent chance.
Still we have a 3 test tour in NZ to blood some youngsters this summer... yeah, that's going to go well
It's odd, 'cos Gatland used to bring in youngsters...North, Halfpenny(?), and we have the under 20s heading towards a Grand Slam...surely some of them could use exposure at a higher level
Yes Youngs has pace, yes he has a long, quick pass, yes he can play well at times......
But, for me, he goes totally AWOL at crucial times in really big games. Also his passing lacks accuracy and his box kicking is hardly ever contestable.
Youngs and Care have been the two contestants for the 9 jersey for a while now and TBH neither has ever put their hand up enough to claim it. Says it all really.
Joe Simpson has that Simpson-Daniel-esque quality of always being injured when England squads are due to be anounced but hopefully he'll get on the plane to Oz.
There's an exciting looking young winger down in the Scarlets who could probably do with twenty minutes experience of an international and on current form might be a better starting bet than Amos. (I've totally forgotten his name..)
Steffan Evans? He's made some good breaks but the jump from Pro12 is hard to gauge how he'd get on. Jordan Williams would be an interesting one but again probably not a good fit and having a tough time with injuries. Not being 3m tall and 200kg also works against them and every other Welsh winger at the moment 😕
With the Welsh backrow??? Are Shingler, Tiperitch* and Moriaty (Turnball too???) the only capped back rows floating around?
*yes I know that is not the spelling but I'm yet to hear anyone pronounce his name correctly
Baker the Ospreys 8. Good carries shit defence and the ospreys 6/5 whose name escapes me
Ospreys 5/6 - James King?
Steffan Evans? He's made some good breaks but the jump from Pro12 is hard to gauge how he'd get on. Jordan Williams would be an interesting one but again probably not a good fit and having a tough time with injuries. Not being 3m tall and 200kg also works against them and every other Welsh winger at the moment
You're probably right. (And so is a_a but don't tell him. 😀 )
I'd forgotten those two. The team could do with a tour like Japan over the Summer really to take the pressure of the big names due for a rest and give the young guns a chance. I guess the IRB rankings factor in to selecting games against the major SH sides and also TV interest too??? Had a look back at the 2013 tour and Baldwin was a debutant, Liam Williams a fresh faced 22 year old with 3 caps and a 23 year old Biggar had a mere 16 caps to be the second most capped in the squad after Bradley Davies.
. I guess the IRB rankings factor in to selecting games against the major SH sides and also TV interest too???
The latter yes the former most certainly not. Losing 240 000 times to SH big guns in the autumn is a bad thing. Its better to beat Fiji, than lose to Aus.
Just listened to the Jones interview on the BBC and it must be the way that he speaks and his delivery that I find annoying, he's just a bit slow, isn't he?
Not sure about this but his slow speech may be a lasting affect from his stroke
On Youngs:
Some of his passing is truly awful; the ball is often lobbed out from a ruck often at head of feet height. It's a running joke with the Tigers fans I work with. Saying that, I agree that he did have one of his better games on Saturday.
I agree with the first couple of sentences but not the last! I thought he (unusually) had some really good quick ball on Saturday but didn't capitalise on it - often all he needed to do was give a decent quick pass to Ford or Farrell to release the back line. IMO he took it on himself too much and his service was not up to international standard. Good call by EJ to give Care a start.
On Marler's forearm / punch. In the context of the game I don't see how it was illegal let alone a card. He was driving Dan Cole over the the try line, Rob Evans is lieing on his side trying to get his hand under the ball to hold Cole up. Marler strikes Evans on his upper shoulder / chest with his forearm to force him onto his back and prevent him holding Cole up. This picture shows it pretty well: [url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/35802422 ]http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/35802422[/url]
That's absolutely normal in any game - I've done it and had it done to me many times. Surely anyone who's played in the pack beyond schoolboy rugby can say the same thing? The reason he didn't go for the head (in addition to it being illegal obviously...) is that it wouldn't have achieved the aim of controlling the torso and getting Evans away from Cole.
[img] 
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[b]France:[/b] S Spedding; W Fofana, G Fickou, M Mermoz, V Vakatawa; F Trinh-Duc, M Machenaud; J Poirot, G Guirado, R Slimani, A Flanquart, Y Maestri, D Chouly, B Le Roux, L Goujon.[b]Replacements:[/b] C Chat, U Atonio, X Chiocci, P Jedresiak, W Lauret, S Bezy, J Plisson, M Medard.
Spedding and Trinh-Duc starting should make a world of difference in any other team but France will find a way to be atrociously poor in spite of this. Forwards will hand England penalties throughout and be knackered by 50 minutes for England to push on for a proper score line.
On Marler's forearm / punch. In the context of the game I don't see how it was illegal let alone a card.
That picture was prior to the contact. I don't know how anyone can think it was anything other than a cheap shot to the chin when Evan's head gets rocked back, Marler's elbow ends resting on his chin... and also the bit where you clearly see the forearm and elbow hit the chin 🙂 Add in the stare deep in to Evans's eyes and the timing not in keeping with the flow of play. Marler is hardly the first to ever do anything like this but it's pretty brainless if picked up and a good try reversed.
Just for balance 😉 Glad ol' Liam seems to have grown out of his more blatant spikey ways 😕
The latter yes the former most certainly not. Losing 240 000 times to SH big guns in the autumn is a bad thing. Its better to beat Fiji, than lose to Aus.
Had to check that and there are indeed not IRB ranking points for being heroic in defeat. Shame 😉 🙂
That's absolutely normal in any game - I've done it and had it done to me many times.
Makes no difference - punching or elbowing people is illegal and gets players sent off most of the time. And that's been the same for decades - we could produce endless clips of players being sent off for less than Marler did.
Funnily enough I've been thinkingthat the refs are being quite lenient on foul play this season. I watched one game, Top 14 I think, where a player was penalised for a very obvious punch in a scrum. (Prop swinging at another prop as the ball was put in, iirc.) That's been a red card forever, but the ref let it go with just a penalty.
World Rugby aren't happy about the Marler decision so he may not be out of hot water yet. EJ sending more barbs the way of the WRU.
It's all getting a bit Eastenders!
DanW
On Marler's forearm / punch. In the context of the game I don't see how it was illegal let alone a card.
That picture was prior to the contact. I don't know how anyone can think it was anything other than a cheap shot to the chin when Evan's head gets rocked back, Marler's elbow ends resting on his chin... and also the bit where you clearly see the forearm and elbow hit the chin Add in the stare deep in to Evans's eyes and the timing not in keeping with the flow of play. Marler is hardly the first to ever do anything like this but it's pretty brainless if picked up and a good try reversed.
From this picture how else could he have cleared Evans out?
[url= http://intheloose.com/2016/03/13/joe-marler-could-be-in-serious-trouble-after-these-two-incidents-during-wales-clash/ ][/url]
He didn't hit him the head because it wouldn't have been effective; Evans would have taken a blow to the side of the head and not been rolled onto his back. He hit him on the left shoulder / upper chest to roll him onto his back; Evan's own arm stops any meaningful contact with the head / chin.
Marler kind of does what you suggest with the flow of bodies... but you did see the clear contact to the chin after all momentum has stopped right and the "clearout" is over? You did watch the videos in your own link, right? 🙄 I'm not suggesting it is a hanging offence but it could have been more subtle and at a less important time for England
Can Gatland retract his apology now that we've established that Marler's comment was so trivial that no further action is needed?
Marler's forearm / punch. In the context of the game I don't see how it was illegal let alone a card.
Step away from the whiskey son, your drunk
AA - even in your link (which is from the worst angle and doesn't show it in context) then it's clear he's struck him in the armpit / under the shoulder. The wrist / forearm ends up in his face but that's absolutely normal - he's trying to get him away from the ball carrier; if you really think that level of contact in a ruck / drive for the line should be a citable offence then maybe rugbys not the game for you. I'd suggest you'd see similar or worse at 30% of rucks in most premiership games. I'm not suggesting we go back to the days of 99 calls or packs milling at each other but a ban for this would be pathetic.
I'm not being partisan either - I'd say the same if the situation was reversed. I also think it's fairly farcical that a player can get banned for 8 weeks for an offence that on the day both the ref and TMO reviewed yet didn't think was worth a card. If rugby loses its physicality then much of what makes the game great will go with it and we'll descend into footballerish name calling and pathetic niggle.
Regardless of what you think Marler's actions or intentions were, he struck a prone player with his fore arm, starting in the chest and finishing in the face. Very simply he struck another player, it's foul play and according to the laws of the game it's a card and a ban.
Yes, you may see worse in every ruck, but when it's caught on camera, and then he's cited for it, it doesn't mean that because it may be common place it isn't an incident that deserves a sanction.
The RBS 6 Nations panel got it wrong. They have got the verbals even more wrong. He said the words, he's admitted it. It was a racist comment and he deserves to have a sit down and think about what he's done. World Rugby will take a look at this and he'll end up with more than 4 weeks.
As for Francis he knew exactly what he was doing. 8 weeks for what he did is too leanient. There should be zero tolerance for hands in the face. As I've said before I was a victim of two gouges. One of which still has an effect on my day to day life 25 years later.
BBS + others
He didn't strike a prone player, he cleared out a player who was very much in play whilst trying to drive his own player over the try line. I don't think we'll agree on this one but I at least am heartened by the decision of the citing committee.
I do agree with you that gouging has no part in the game (and has never been acceptable in any era) and a zero tolerance approach is the right way ahead. That said I'm not convinced it was a deliberate but poorly executed gouge in this case - just looked like a frustrated player trying to grab; admittedly arguably reckless. Either way I think it's inconsistent verging on farcical than an offence that supposedly merits an 8 week ban is reviewed by both ref and TMO during the game who decide it's not worth a yellow. As someone pointed out above had Wales got the extra try - and they were bloody close - then the 8 week ban would have seemed a fairly cheap price to pay...
World Rugby aren't happy about the Marler decision so he may not be out of hot water yet. EJ sending more barbs the way of the WRU.
It's all getting a bit Eastenders!
Isn't it. I like that Eddie Jones is plain speaking and seemingly not media shy, but I think he needs to wind his neck in a little on this one. Saying that the WRU are only upset by the decision to not ban Marler for a racist slur and / or elbowing as a ploy to derail England's grand slam hopes is a bit pathetic and a little niaeve - not really covering himself in glory.
I was gutted when Wales lost, but it was to a better team and was happy to accept it and was hoping England got the grand slam (after all it's been a while and it's good to share your toys). However the ways Jones has been prattling on this week is inspiring me to look for some French branches of the north walian family tree!
It's worth pointing out again, he admitted foul play himself ie striking a player. The citing was also upheld. As I understand it these things can only go to committee if they are red card offences. So it's upheld, but they then let him off as they didn't think it was a red card offence. If that's not confusing what is?
Same as aby other pubishment. Attempts to correct the behaviour of the offender and sends a warning to others who may do the same.
So precisely what happened then? Perpetrator apologised at the first opportunity, demonstrating that he recognised what was wrong about what he said. Warning sent to others through publicity given to the potential sanction for racist abuse.
Job done.
if you really think that level of contact in a ruck / drive for the line should be a citable offence then maybe rugbys not the game for you.
Well it was cited so must have been citable. Wasnt deemed worthy of a red but was certainly deemed foul play. Marler asmitted foul play too. So the player and the citing comittee disagreevwith you. To describe it as a clear out is simply bollocks. It was a cheap shot pure and simple to try and paint it as anything else is just bizare imo.
Zokes, apologising is not a punishment, I am not suprised you dont get that though tbh.
Zokes, apologising is not a punishment
Correct - it's a sign of recognition of fault - a realisation that he's done wrong, and why it could have been hurtful. One of the main steps to rehabilitation. Behaviour apparently on the way to correction. Job done.
If punitive punishment worked, then places with capital punishment would be crime free. They are not. I am actually surprised you don't get this; but as I raised previously - disagreement for disagreement's sake when it comes to me has always been your MO. It's a little sad really.
Slightly related but trying to move things along...
EJ says Mako was always the plan against France for the type of game England want to play. Sounds like BS to me to get the team set up around Mako rather than Marler in case he was unavailable but I'd be interested to know if he does indeed add something special for France? I've never really rated him but am open to being educated 🙂
If punitive punishment worked, then places with capital punishment would be crime free. They are not.
Stretch it to the max straight away why don't you! 😀
But anyway, that statement aside, you appear to be advocating the end of yellow cards, red cards, penalties, any retrospective punishment for incidents missed by the officials on the day? Is that the case?
But anyway, that statement aside, you appear to be advocating the end of yellow cards, red cards, penalties, any retrospective punishment for incidents missed by the officials on the day? Is that the case?
Not at all. However, in this particular instance the perpetrator sought out and apologised to the victim at the earliest opportunity. I'm not suggesting that the potential of a large ban be removed, just that on this occasion it wasn't necessary. It seems the adjudicators agree with me. Needless to said if he were to do it again I suspect a very long ban would be justified.
As you said:
😆Stretch it to the max straight away why don't you!
No way that marker thought about it decided his words were wrong walked to the opposition's changing room, which contains two big props he's passed off, and said sorry.
RFU recognised the severity and marched him down there hoping to take the sting out of the repercussions (as any professional outfit would)
I'm not suggesting that the potential of a large ban be removed
So you're saying that [you think that] punishment does work. Just not in this case. Because he said sorry. (And of course Lee & Gatland said it was just top bantz.)
It seems the adjudicators agree with me.
Appeals to authority notwithstanding, World Rugby are making sounds like they don't (in that they've asked for clarification...I'm not sure that explicitly means they "don't agree", but they'd like to have a look at it again).
[Rugby Laws 10.4 (m) and Regulations 17 & 20 for reference]
If punitive punishment worked, then places with capital punishment would be crime free.
Execution would be a bit harsh in this case.
So are you suggesting any offender should say sorry and all is good? We could empty the prisons and the fat sais could bench for Wales this weekend if we can taxi him over to say soz mate to Cole.
It's a little sad really.
Not as sad as not appearing on this thread until England beat Wales and then talking rubbish like you do as a pathetic attempt to troll.
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Soz! It was just teh megabantz in the heat of the moment! Lolz.
Will he be the first Samoan Knighted?!!
aa Well it was cited so must have been citable. Wasnt deemed worthy of a red but was certainly deemed foul play"
Well he was cited and the RBS Citing committee found it wasn't a citable offence ie not worthy of a red. You're saying that anyone charged with an offence is guilty which clearly isn't the case. We're clearly not going to agree so probably worth moving on.
What do we think of the Francis ban? For me either 2 international referees interpret the laws completely differently from the citing committee when presented with the same information (ie penalty vs red card) or Joubert completly abrogated himself of the responsibility for making a crucial decision on the day. I think this is a slippery slope as it's always easier to kick the can down the road and ask someone else to make a decision and a ban doesn't have the same impact on the team as a card.
or Joubert completly abrogated himself of the responsibility for making a crucial decision on the day.
Not seen him referee before?
Well he was cited and the RBS Citing committee found it wasn't a citable offence ie not worthy of a red.
Eh? If he was cited it was citable surely. Found not to be a red so no ban. It points to the fact it should have been a yellow. They certainly didnt clear him of foul play as you're trying to suggest it should have been. He admitted foul play they found it to be foul play but not worthy of a red or a ban.
Joubert was crap.
Flash - that's a gif I never tire of watching. A part of me does feel that if Ashton and Farrell had played in an era where this was the standard reaction to sly niggle and off the ball stuff they'd have stopped doing it by now...
Tallie - I watched the EngvWAl game on Japanese tv, with live ref link for the whole match. I'm not sure what happened in the uk. For the Francis decision, the discussion between ref/TMO was basically " it looks like a hand on the eye area, but we only have 1 angle, so penalty only, and leave it for the citing officer after the match"
The TMO was the one pushing Joubert to leave it until later, which was piss-poor imho.
Tallie -it was a citable offence, and the citing was upheld ie he was found guilty of striking an oppenent. The only issue is he wasn't banned as for some reason the committee then decided it wasn't deemed a red card which is confusing as these citings are only for possible red cards in the first place.
Scamper - I'm aware of the contradiction. Ultimately the ref on the day and the TMO saw the incident in both real time and slow motion repeatedly and didn't think it worthy of even a penalty. The citing committee then cover themselves in glory by deciding it is a citable offence (ie worthy of a red card) but not deserving a ban because it's not worthy of a red card (and therefore presumably not a red card offence); perhaps they wanted to give fans something to argue about whilst waiting for the final games?
Can anybody find the actual RBS 6 Nations Disciplinary Committee statement as that may (although I doubt it) make things clearer?
Tallie... No point getting all het about the logic of any of this. You have seen the citing process before right?
I've seen it as a player - it's actually gets much worse as you go down the leagues and can involve some machiavellian politics...
It points to the fact it should have been a yellow.
Maestri recieved a "Citing Commissioners Warning" for his cheap shot on Sexton in the Ireland France game , precisely because his actions warranted a yellow card.
That's the equivalent of a retrospective yellow and counts as the same value in totting up towards a 3 yellow ban.
I'd expect them to use the same punishment if they intended to "point to the fact it should have been a yellow".
Scamper - I'm aware of the contradiction. Ultimately the ref on the day and the TMO saw the incident in both real time and slow motion repeatedly and didn't think it worthy of even a penalty.
No, the offence was missed. It wasnt looked at. The idiot who was the video ref was only looking at the try.
The TMO and the ref reviewed the Francis incident. Indeed Joubert called it reckless. To not do something about it then was wrong, since the entire TV watching population knew that it was going to be cited.
I actually thought Joubert had an ok game on Saturday, he was fair with both teams and consistent. But saying that he failed on two big decisions. The red card that should have be shown to Francis and he should have has the question of the Cole 'try' - Any reason not to award? All the pundits in the box at half time knew it was a try - even the Welsh ones!
On that basis - getting the big decisions wrong - he needs to stop doing Internationals. Barnes, Poite, Clancy, Owens, etc all would have be stronger and stop up at the big decisions.
Is the Cole try the one that was grounded short and then rolled along the ground over the line?
No that was Youngs.
Got it - the one where the only clear shot has the ball 6" of the ground. Which doesn't mean it wasn't grounded of course.
Yay U20 Grand Slam good work Wales 😀
France deny a womens grand slam for england as well, portent for tomorrow???
France deny a womens grand slam for england as well, portent for tomorrow???
after eddie jones' cockwombalry in the press this week i hope so. small minded and petty of me, very much so!
So hopefully no one will see through my thinly veiled hopes that England lose, but is anyone starting to feel a bit sorry for the French internatio al team. Lots of good players not given the same time to train together as the other 6 natio s teams. I hope they beat England, we need a strong France in the six natiobs. Alles les blues....is the game today or have I peaked too soon?
. I hope they beat England, we need a strong France in the six natiobs. Alles les blues....is the game today or have I peaked too soon?
Sort of agree but much prefer the thought of hitting rock bottom rather than a rousing finish to paper over the cracks. Come on England
Should be a good afternoon of matches, I only hope I'm still able to see straight by the England kickoff...
Aa - is that true about the French squad time together? Is that due to a lack of a player agreement with the clubs?
I feel EJ is "doing a Mourinho" to take the pressure off the players.
Yeah French team have something like 3 days together go back to clubs plat match then back to camp, hardly conducive to winning.
E. Jones is an arse, why is he having a pop at Wales when playing France?
No point winding up the French before the game - plus I bet he's livid over the whole Marler thing. Aussies take a very different stance on racial slurs than we do here - note that interview a few pages back.
why is he having a pop at Wales when playing France?
Dont know but he may find he has under estimated things when England roll into Cardiff with Lions places up for grabs next year.
This has just appeared on my timeline which kind of puts into words how I feel about EJ these days, after what seemed like a breath of fresh air during the RWC. 😐
In what has been something of an incendiary episode from the start, it was probably fitting that Eddie Jones ended up having his eyebrow-raising tuppence worth.Ahead of departing for Paris where he hopes his England side will claim a first Grand Slam in 13 years against France on Saturday night, Jones said the Welsh Rugby Union’s hard-line stance against racism in the wake of the Joe Marler-Samson Lee ‘gypsy boy’ furore had an ulterior motive.
“Everyone is keen for England not to win the Grand Slam, let’s be real about it,” said Jones.
“Wales will be happy if we don’t win the Grand Slam and they’ll do anything to upset us in our preparation. It’s as simple as that.”
Don’t flatter yourself Eddie. A sizeable contingent of Welsh supporters may like to see Les Bleus derail England, but the WRU and the Wales squad couldn’t care two hoots.
But that’s hardly the point.
For the England boss to equate an organisation’s condemnation of racism with some conspiracy to influence the outcome of a game was just beneath contempt.
And to cast doubt on the integrity of people like WRU chief executive Martyn Phillips and chairman Gareth Davies – for that’s what Jones has effectively done – was crass and unforgivable.
There will be those who titter at the remarks, brush them off as having come from a canny Australian on a wind-up.
Well, if Jones was indeed trying to wind everyone up it was deeply irresponsible.
He taunted Wales by claiming they ‘don’t know if they are Arthur or Martha’, in reference to apparently contradictory stances on the affair.
But this ignored the fact that Warren Gatland, who described Marler’s comment as ‘banter’ is just one employee of the WRU – albeit a high profile one.
It was one errant remark from someone who has since issued an apology. The WRU’s position has been consistent from the outset.
Continuing his assault on rational thinking, Jones added: “This is why you have citing commissions. Once they have made their decision you get on with - you don’t say it (the decision) is wrong.”
Why’s that Eddie? Why do we have to accept the bizarre ruling of anonymous and misguided Six Nations officials?
With this saga having dominated the run-up to the final Six Nations weekend, there have been calls from some quarters to ‘move on’.
But move on to what? To an acceptance that it is OK for players to sling this sort of insult at opponents? To the fact that some junior players will now take the field thinking that if they do what Marler did they shouldn’t be punished?
Jones is experiencing his first Six Nations and may yet repeat the trick Gatland performed in 2008 by doing a clean sweep at the first attempt.
But it appears he still has much to learn about the respect which has always underpinned the tournament, and relations between the competing sides.
Meanwhile, if England win at Stade de France there will certainly be the usual angst about their success among the red clad hordes. T’was ever thus.
Yet nobody this side of the Severn Bridge who knows anything about the game will, deep down, begrudge them.
They will be deserving champions, deserving Grand Slammers.
Genuine rugby fans will applaud the achievement. Jones will be entitled to puff out his chest and talk excitedly about the future of English rugby.
But when the dust has settled, when we all go back to work on Monday morning, the stain of an unsatisfactory outcome to a matter of grave importance will remain.
That’s because players hurling around jibes like ‘gypsy boy’ is about so much more than one match alone. It’s about the very future of rugby union.
How incredibly silly of Jones not to realise that.
So todays game? Wales21 italy 9 in an error strewn shit fest of dullness, ireland 15 Scotland 32 in the game of the day and then France 15 England 18 in a tight squeaky bum fashion.