Eddie Jones loves the setting for this huge series-decider. He’s heading back to the same Sydney Cricket Ground where he first learnt what the Australia-England rivalry meant as a 10-year-old.
He may be England’s rugby coach but he remains a devout Australian cricket fan who grew up in the 1970s era of the Chappells, Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh.
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He was a wide-eyed young schoolboy spectator on one of the most controversial days in Ashes cricket during the Seventh Test of the 1970-71 summer.
Ian Chappell, only freshly installed as skipper, had to deal with a flashpoint.
“Dad took me to the Test where (England fast bowler) John Snow was manhandled on the fence by a spectator after he hit one of the Aussie tailenders (Terry Jenner) with a bouncer,” Jones said.
The crowd booed Snow, beer cans were hurled, agitators were arrested and indignant Ray Illingworth led the England team off the field.
Jones was a mere 10-year-old watching one of the tensest incidents of Ashes history.
“I saw the Snow incident but what I remember most is Ian Chappell. I loved the way Chappell turned the team around from there,” Jones said.
Jones was too young to be throwing beer cans: “I was sitting there very sedately.”
Most of all, it gave Jones an early feeling for the strong, no nonsense characters who shape the history of Australia v England in any sport.
He is one himself and he knows he has those figures in the pack for Saturday’s third Test at the SCG. Just recall how 121kg prop Ellis Genge went beast mode in the scene-setting opening 30 minutes at Suncorp Stadium last Saturday night.
He steamrolled through Michael Hooper on his first ball-carry of the night, he took on Taniela Tupou at scrum time and everything he did glowed with physical intent.
Any fan will want more of the same from Genge and the equally influential Tupou giving it back to him at the SCG.
Jones has brought out the best in skipper Courtney Lawes late in his career and he wants to wring more from the thumping authority of No.8 Billy Vunipola in a comeback to Test rugby he might not have seen coming.
Jones likens the significance of this series-decider to a rehearsal for a Rugby World Cup final with everything on the line.
“Suncorp Stadium was like a good dress rehearsal for playing a World Cup semi-final. It was a pressure game, we got out early, they came back and we had to battle hard to keep composure and find ways to keep going forward,” Jones said.
Jones chuckled that the second Test script now dictated at least part of the Wallabies' training this week.
“We got a fair bit of benefit from our maul and that eats away at the Australian psyche,” Jones said post-match.
“Having been an Australian coach, one thing you don’t like is being mauled by the English.
“You see, Australian fans don’t like it (the maul) and they’re saying '*&%$ can you do something else'. In England it’s ‘whoo-ho’ (more please).
“The Wallabies are going to be doing maul defence at training, aren’t they. They’ll be improved and we have to be better too.”
Jones gave great credit to his defence coach Anthony Seibold for the defence and scrambling against the Wallabies at Suncorp Stadium.
Jones wasn’t even the most well-known face in the England coaches’ box with Seibold returning to the stadium where he coached the Brisbane Broncos (2019-20) in the NRL.
“It was like having the Lord Mayor of Brisbane with us. Everyone was like, ‘Anthony how are, mate?,” Jones said of his hired gun.
“He loved the night. That’s a great coaching effort from him, just to see the fight for each other in defence on the field.”
