Eddie Jones has never been one to shy away from controversy, and the veteran coach proved his sense of humour remains intact despite facing a four-match suspension for verbally abusing match officials. The Japan boss joked on Wednesday that he was “looking for a laundry basket” to sneak into his side’s Nations Championship opener, a cheeky reference to Jose Mourinho’s infamous 2005 escapade.
The Japan Rugby Football Union dropped the hammer on their 66-year-old coach last month, handing him a suspension and slashing his salary for “incidences of verbal abuse directed at local match officials” during a Japan Under-23 tour of Australia in April. The sanction means Jones will be forced to watch from afar when the Brave Blossoms kick off their Nations Championship campaign against Italy in Tokyo on July 4.
But trust Jones to find the funny side. After naming his squad for an upcoming training camp, the spiky Australian couldn’t resist invoking the spirit of “The Special One”. Back in 2005, Mourinho famously smuggled himself into the Chelsea dressing room in a laundry basket to circumvent a touchline ban, a stunt that’s gone down in football folklore.
“He went into the dressing room in a laundry basket, so I’m looking for a laundry basket,” Jones quipped, before quickly adding with a grin: “I’m only joking.”
The levity, however, gave way to genuine contrition as Jones faced the media for the first time since the JRFU announced his punishment. Reading from a prepared statement, the former England and Australia coach struck an apologetic tone that felt worlds apart from his usual combative press conference persona.
“I love the game of rugby, so I do feel very disappointed in my own behaviour that I’ve brought the game into this area where we have to discuss it at a press conference,” Jones admitted. “But like everyone, we make mistakes and now it’s time to move on.”
The ban itself is comprehensive and cuts deep. Jones served a six-week suspension from all rugby activities between 24 April and 5 June, during which he wasn’t permitted to watch games in Japan’s domestic league. He’s already missed two fixtures involving a Japan select side against Hong Kong in May, and he’ll be absent again when a Japan XV faces the Maori All Blacks in Nagoya on 27 June.
Come 4 July, Jones will experience the bizarre reality of preparing his team for their Nations Championship bow whilst being barred from setting foot inside the stadium. It’s a peculiar situation for a coach of his stature, free to run training sessions and devise tactics, but forced to watch the execution from a hotel room or back office.
The good news for Japan fans? Jones will be back in the coaching box for their second Nations Championship fixture against Ireland in Newcastle, Australia, on 11 July. The Brave Blossoms then return home to host France in Tokyo on 18 July in what promises to be a blockbuster finale to the inaugural tournament.
When pressed on the specifics of his indiscretion, Jones kept his cards close to his chest. “It was one comment which I regret saying to the referee,” he explained. “I apologised to the referee straight after the game. But it was the wrong decision and I shouldn’t have done it.”
It’s a rare moment of vulnerability from a coach better known for mind games and verbal jousting than mea culpas. Jones has built a career on pushing boundaries and rattling cages, but this episode serves as a stark reminder that even the most successful operators must respect the officials who govern the game.
