The Head Coach of the Barbarians, Eddie Jones looks on during the Barbarians Squad training session on November 12, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images for Barbarians )
England and Barbarians coach Eddie Jones says he bears no ill-will towards the World Cup-winning Springboks.
Jones has picked two of the Springboks who overcame his England side in Yokohama earlier this month for the Barbarians starting XV in Tendai Mtawarira and Makazole Mapimpi.
Another World Champion Springbok is on the bench in the form of Lukhanyo Am.
Eddie Jones welcomes Springboks
Jones said that the rugby world celebrated the Springboks triumph and he was happy for them despite being gutted for the lads in his own team.
“Not at all, we are happy for them,” Eddie Jones told reporters ahead of the Barbarians meeting with Fiji at Twickenham.
The England boss would borrow a turn of phrase from legendary footballer and manager Sir Bobby Robson.
“I think Bobby Robson had that great turn ‘there is one happy dressing room and one sad dressing room and you want to be in the happy dressing room as much as you can, but if you are in the sad dressing room you appreciate the happiness the other team has’.“It is wonderful those guys want to come and play for the Barbarians. We have three of them and it’s nice to see they want to give something back to the game.”
Mapimpi scored a crucial try in the Rugby World Cup final and has been one of the stars of the Springboks highly successful 2019 season. He will make his first-ever appearance for the Barbarians against the Flying Fijians. Mapimpi will have some familiar faces among the inside backs with Sharks teammates Curwin Bosch and Andre Esterhuizen filling the 10 and 12 Jerseys for the famous club.
England players moving on
With the Premiership and European Championship in full swing there is no English playing contingent among the Barbarians but their defence coach John Mitchell joins Jones for the November tour.
Mitchell, a Kiwi who has coached all over the world including stints in South Africa, says that the players will move on from the disappointment of the World Cup final loss quickly.
“It’s the past. Naturally people are disappointed and that is life. You feel for the boys because they put so much into it, but you’ve got to find a way to move forward.“You always have to find a way to move forward in life so we’re very fortunate to come into an environment like this where it’s all about why you love the game,” Mitchell said
The Barbarians match against Fiji kicks off at Twickenham at 16:25 SAST.
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