Jones Bok blazer jolt
7 Sep 2007
Eddie Jones will not be allowed to wear the Springbok blazer at the World Cup, writes Keo in the Independent Newspapers.
Former Wallabies coach Jones is being paid to help South Africa win the World Cup, but not even the prospect of a World Cup win will get him a Springbok blazer.
Jones, the mastermind of Australian rugby between 2001 and 2005, has officially been appointed the Springboks Technical Adviser at the Rugby World Cup, but he won’t be allowed to wear the Springbok blazer.
Jones can wear the Springboks training gear and he can wear the Springboks suit, which has a Springbok emblem on the pocket, but the Presidents’ Council of the South African Rugby Union has determined he cannot be seen in a Springbok green and gold blazer.
Jones is understood to be accepting of the regulation and so too is Bok coach Jake White, who has employed Jones for his technical expertise and not fashion sense.
But the irony is that the man who most neutral observers believe will be the major influence in a Springbok World Cup success is not allowed to put on a green blazer, but the Presidents’ Council has no problem with an assistant physiotherapist, a physiotherapist, a video technician, a doctor, a media officer and a consulting specialist, who wore an England blazer in 2003, wearing the green and gold Bok blazer.
The country’s president, Thabo Mbeki is given a Bok blazer, Nelson Mandela is given a Bok blazer. Jones is not. Jones, who assisted the Boks for a fortnight in South Africa and the another week in Scotland, has consistently boosted their cause at the World Cup.
He has said New Zealand are the tournament favourites, but he has singled out the Springboks as the only team to beat them. He has said his loyalty at this World Cup is with the Boks, because that’s where his professional association is. He has done this at his expense in Australia.
The Bok players have waxed lyrical about Jones’ input. Springbok centre Jaque Fourie said the backs have started to straighten the line again and attack space.
Every Bok backline player has complimented Jones.
The forwards have been as generous in their praise. Bok captain John Smit said it was refreshing to hear such applicable wisdom and the Bok coach (White) has consistently preached the virtues of Jones, believing him to be the best technical strategist in the game.
Yet, the amateurs who continue to run the professional side of the South African game, are more concerned with whether or not Jones gets given a Bok blazer.
120 Comments
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7 Sep 2007, 22:02 pm
I reckon eddie did not want to wear the Bok blazer so this decision was made to save face.
7 Sep 2007, 23:50 pm
Dis nou hokken belaglik.
8 Sep 2007, 00:29 am
Eddie Jones is a ledgend. He in furiated us when he coached the ozzys and now he is going to get under everyone elses skin at the RWC by helping the boks get past the semis!
He is one of the best coaches of all time, and SARU have slapped him in face with this kak!
8 Sep 2007, 02:27 am
i think stofile stole jone’s jacket that why he does nt have one!!!! i wonder if stofile will try to fine jones when he comes back for a visit…….
8 Sep 2007, 07:55 am
There are a lot of SA. rugby player’s that don’t deserve there blazer’s.
8 Sep 2007, 07:59 am
Keo, you should extract the best comments and publish them on a funnies page.
8 Sep 2007, 08:41 am
Hierdie politicians is deur die kuk…
Die man moet ons help om die WC te wen, maar hy mag nie n bok blazer kry nie!!!
They more worried about not giving Eddie a boks blazer then what they are about the crime and corruption in this country!!!
If I was jake, I would have given Eddie a bok blazer… What can they do, fire him??? In the WC!!!
MMMmmmm must say, these politicians is SA will probably do that!!!
8 Sep 2007, 09:38 am
#98 Your rugby association did not want him, so who are the idiots here?
8 Sep 2007, 09:45 am
16″ black
your comment 21 proves what little you know about rugby. Jones was not involved in this years aussies set up. Jones should wear the Bok blazer and it is a nonsensical decision by our politicians.
8 Sep 2007, 10:19 am
well written keo. good reflection of the state of the rugby administration.
similar to the political floor crossing. always a good reason why the crosser aligns with a new political party. normally for the “good of the constituency”. no one ever mentions the backhander(of course not)
the biggest insult probably is that these fat cats making decisions in the closed boardroom think that the public out there is stupid!
i think that says it all. that’s the intelligence we dealing with. i rest my case.
8 Sep 2007, 10:22 am
following 110.
if he was offered to wear it he probably would not have. would have caused to much upset back home.
they really missed the point.(luckily, EJ know how stupid and childish the administrators are)
8 Sep 2007, 11:55 am
Eddie Jones is a professional and it shouldn’t worry him too much. What worries me is this “Presidents Council” (don’t they have more important matters to deal with like SA’s image- this just makes us the laughing stock of the rest of the world). Then there is the the oxwagon mentality of some – why is Eddie a prostitute, a judas and all the other stuff? It’s a free world and he can ply his trade where he likes – if Robbie Deans does leave Canterbury and become the Aus coach doubt if he’ll be subject to the same namecalling.
8 Sep 2007, 12:22 pm
I don’t know what the basis for not allowing him to wear the Bok blazer is but it sure does not sound right. However, I really could not careless if he was only permitted to wear an underwear with the Bok logo on it. Jeez lets not get worked up too much on it. We need to talk about rugby and that is all…some idiot in SARU will always stuff up but we cannot control that…all we can hope for is that Jones can contribute something positive in his short time with the Boks. Tomorrow we face Samoa and they will come at us at 100 miles per hour!! We have to be ready and subdue them. That is only thing on my mind right now!!not some bok blazer!!
8 Sep 2007, 13:41 pm
bhupendra the issue is deeper than the bok blazer.
most people on this site are pissed off by the trivialties of the rugby fat cats. and the way they take decisions.
all of us (SA supporters) are fired up for the upcoming match!!!! enjoy the match
8 Sep 2007, 14:52 pm
#11 Since when did you follow the boks on this blog? Go find a kiwi site, lol. Only joking mate you love them Ozzie’s I know that.
8 Sep 2007, 14:53 pm
well said whistleblower! Why are the administrators dreaming up stupid an offensive ideas like this when half the unions in the country are bankrupt or underperforming. [EG WP/EP/Boland etc]
Just shows how misplaced and amatuer their priorities are!
[P.s. I would love to know if Tim Lane and all the other foreigners who have help the boks were denied the blazer??]
8 Sep 2007, 15:28 pm
As long as we will the wereld beker. I sure he will get SARU Presidential nomination
8 Sep 2007, 15:39 pm
Eddie jones is scared to face the tug committee. That is why he is not getting a blazer
8 Sep 2007, 16:59 pm
What is the difference between Rattlebones turning his back on South Africa and going to play for Australia and Eddie Jones turning his back on Australis helping to coach South Africa?
Most bloggers here villified Rattlebones as a traitor, but Jones does the same thing and because you think he may help SA win the WRC it is ok and he is a great man!
A bit of a double standard isn’t it?
9 Sep 2007, 10:56 am
Either jones is part of the team or not. And it has been shown that he is. But the SARU idiots as usual do not have a single bone of management expertise in their bodies (in addition to not having a spine).
The oppportunity was there to draw him in, make him feel part of teh team, make the team feel he was with them. Now the team feels embarrassed (for their administrators being callous), and puts their mind on other things. Smart, real smart, you Freaking amateur morons. The quicker an oil robber baron steals your positions out from under you , the better…
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