Eddie Jones has 'new plan' to revive Japan
SPOTLIGHT: Eddie Jones said he had made mistakes in an underwhelming return to coaching Japan.
A wounded Wales head to Japan having lost their last 17 Tests – a record for a Tier One country in the professional era – including a humiliating 68-14 thrashing by England in Cardiff.
The pugnacious Australian Jones is also looking for a morale-boosting win after mixed results since he returned to lead Japan at the start of last year.
The former Wallaby and England head coach said it was “a good time and a bad time” to face Wales, who will be missing Tomos Williams and Jac Morgan to British and Irish Lions duty.
“Obviously having 17 losses in a row dents the confidence of the team and as a result they’ve only got two Lions players,” Jones said after announcing his squad for a training camp ahead of the games.
“Normally on a tour like this you’d expect eight or nine players to be out, so they’ll be basically full-strength.”
Wales will again be led by caretaker coach Matt Sherratt, who took over midway through the Six Nations following Warren Gatland’s unsuccessful second stint in charge.
Jones predicted that the “law of averages” meant Wales’s losing streak would end soon.
But he said the heat and humidity in Kitakyushu and Kobe could give Japan an advantage.
“We’re hoping that it’s a nice hot day, the sun comes out and we can really run Wales off their feet,” said Jones, who first led Japan in 2012-2015.
Japan have won four games and lost seven since Jones came back, and were beaten by 40 points or more by New Zealand, France and England last year.
The 65-year-old admitted that he had made mistakes.
“Coming back to Japan, I didn’t understand how much Japanese rugby had changed, how the players’ thinking had changed,” he said.
“Did I coach well last year? No, I don’t think I coached very well last year, 100 percent. So I’ve taken that on board.”
