Felix Jones found what he was looking for when he left Ireland. Is now the time to come back?
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BEFORE Rassie Erasmus produced one of the most astonishing moments in Lions history, before Rugby Australia declared their dismay in response, there was Felix Jones with his laptop. From that stemmed 26 disputed incidents and a sporting firestorm.
Russell Belter worked extensively with South Africa for the 2019 World Cup, filming training and alignment camps to create squad videos. In Erasmus’ autobiography, Rassie: Stories of Life and Rugby, he recalled how their “incredible analyst” had all the clips prepared for their regular post-game meeting after the first test against the British & Irish Lions in 2021.
What followed is infamous. The six coaches poured over Jones’ video clips all night. A 62-minute video critique of the match officials went viral, Erasmus was eventually disciplined for misconduct, referee Nic Berry testified that his reputation suffered irreparable damage.
Jones was aligned with Erasmus in every sense. The Irishman replaced Springbok attack coach Swys de Bruin after he resigned in 2019. At the time de Bruin’s explanation was personal reasons. He later revealed it was two-fold. Another influential factor was a difference in game philosophy. His hierarchy was run, pass and then kick. The Springboks under Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber subscribed to a different order. Upon learning of those comments, Erasmus said his departure “was the right decision to make.”
It should be said Jones was not recruited as a direct replacement. The players did not want a new attack coach, it was too close to the World Cup for that. Instead, his brief was about analysing defensive patterns and breaking them down. The Dubliner went on to help them to back-to-back World Cup titles.
Was this expected? In a sense. The move was greeted with trepidation at home. Former mentor Joe Schmidt, who worked with Jones as a player and a coach, knew it was a shrewd signing and hoped Ireland didn’t suffer as a consequence.
“Felix and I were good friends and I knew that his work ethic and rugby knowledge were exceptional,” wrote Erasmus in his book. “We were also expecting to play Ireland in the playoffs, so Felix’s knowledge of the Irish set-up would be invaluable. When I phoned him, he didn’t think twice and jumped on a plane to join us in Japan. That is how sudden it all was.”
Schmidt brought Jones, Ronan O’Gara and Girvan Dempsey with him on the 2017 USA and Japan summer tour. It was just before his 30th birthday. Jones played for Munster 90 times over six seasons before his career was prematurely cut short. He looked destined to ascend quickly as a coach.
The IRFU had offered an unspecified position after he left Munster. That parting was the major surprise.
Munster were hammered by Saracens in the 2019 Champions Cup semi-final. Before they played in the Pro14 semi-final, it emerged that forwards coach Jerry Flannery and backs coach Jones turned down deals to stay.
It is worth remembering the environment he was escaping from. The mood was mixed. Before that news, Munster had already been linked to Welsh and Lions backs coach Rob Howley. While lamenting their loss, Alan Quinlan admitted that fans weren’t majorly concerned if the replacement came from within the province, they just wanted someone who would help deliver success.
Coaches moving abroad is hardwired into the industry. Part of that is out of necessity, part of it is for their development. Sometimes certain approaches are enhanced by outside influences, sometimes they are just more appreciated.
Consider how Jones was routinely praised for his thoroughness with South Africa, how he taught Willie le Roux to fix his tendency to fall away after passing, how he broke down Scotland’s tackle habits in the latest season of Chasing the Sun, the behind-the-scenes documentary charting their march to the Web Ellis Cup. Earlier this year, unused snippets were released online. In one, Nienaber spoke about his first experience in Ireland, when he left the Stormers and joined Munster in 2016.
“The thing that probably struck me the most when I was in Ireland was the amount of detail that they coach the players, microscopic detail,” he said. “When I was here in South Africa before I went there, I didn’t go into a tenth of the depth of detail and microscopic-ness that they go into.”
The mood music around Jones’ resignation as defence coach in Steve Borthwick’s England set-up just seven months after signing on has struck similar notes. Senior players lament the loss. He has now proven himself as one of the most exciting coaches in the sport. Was that possible without leaving Ireland? Yes. Was it likely?
Reports are that Jones has a 12-month notice period in his contract. New IRFU performance director David Humphreys will undoubtedly be one of many monitoring the situation closely. The prospect of a return to Irish rugby is further complicated by the lack of an obvious vacancy. The provinces are well stocked. Andy Farrell will miss the 2025 Six Nations to concentrate on preparing for the Lions tour to Australia. There is every chance that he brings Jones onto that ticket.
The attraction of South Africa was an established relationship with the shot-caller. The attraction of England was a new project and to be closer to home. There are other nations and clubs that can satisfy the same criteria. The cross-fertilisation of ideas is a never-ending process. Different environments only intensify it. Several Irish coaches continue to benefit from this experience.
For the IRFU, there is expected to be a pressing need to find a role and bring him back into the fold.
For Jones, there is no rush.