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My Life and Rugby: The Autobiography
Eddie Jones took over as head coach of the England Rugby team in the autumn of 2015 after England's dramatic exit from the World Cup. Currently on an unbeaten run of nine games, he has led England to both their first Grand Slam victory since 2003 and their first ever whitewash of Australia in Australia. Most remarkably, he achieved this success with almost the entire squad he inherited from his predecessor. He has rightly been lauded for his leadership and management skills and England are currently ranked as the #2 side in the world behind World Champions New Zealand. In his book, Eddie Jones will tell the story of England’s remarkable turnaround. He will also draw on his coaching experience of both Australia, when he lost in the final to Clive Woodward’s 2003 World Cup winning team, and coaching Japan to the greatest upset in World Cup Rugby history when they beat South Africa. He will talk extensively about the leadership lessons that are equally applicable off the pitch as well as how he has managed both success and learnt from failure to now be rated as one of the top sports coaches of his generation.
423 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2019
130 people are currently reading
436 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
January 16, 2020
Outstanding, Hard To Put Down
I'm a rugby man, I've read a good few biographies of players and coaches and this is the best by a country mile.
Eddie Jones writes honestly and with feeling and emotion, so much so that at times you can feel the emotion yourself.
The book charts his life from humble beginnings right up to the present day, he allows you to see his influences, feel his passion and enjoy his knowledge of the 'Great Game'.
Cannot recommend this book highly enough.
I'm a rugby man, I've read a good few biographies of players and coaches and this is the best by a country mile.
Eddie Jones writes honestly and with feeling and emotion, so much so that at times you can feel the emotion yourself.
The book charts his life from humble beginnings right up to the present day, he allows you to see his influences, feel his passion and enjoy his knowledge of the 'Great Game'.
Cannot recommend this book highly enough.
January 11, 2022
Even thought this book is over 400 pages, the font makes it a quick read.
Eddie Jones can't expect me to believe that Owen Farrell wasn't smirking at the haka in the semi-final against NZ. There was nothing respectful in his facial expression. Fortunately, he was humbled a week later by Duane Vermeulen, Siya Kolisi and company.
Let's see what happens in 2023.
Eddie Jones can't expect me to believe that Owen Farrell wasn't smirking at the haka in the semi-final against NZ. There was nothing respectful in his facial expression. Fortunately, he was humbled a week later by Duane Vermeulen, Siya Kolisi and company.
Let's see what happens in 2023.
September 23, 2021
"არასოდეს ხარ არც ისეთი ცუდი და არც ისეთი მაგარი, როგორიც სხვებს ჰგონიხარ."
დიდი მწვრთნელის ძალიან საინტერესო წიგნი, სავსე ისეთი დეტალებით, რომლებსაც იშვიათად ამხელს მისი ხელობის ხალხი. ედი ჯოუნსი ხომ თავისი სარაგბო მიღწევების გარდა, სწორედ იმით არის ცნობილი, რომ პირველმა ჩაახედა სამყარო ყველაზე ღრმად საკუთარ სარაგბო სამზარეულოში, როდესაც ინგლისის ნაკრების შეკრებების იმ ვიდეოსერიების გამოქვეყნება დაიწყო Youtube-ზე, რომლებშიც ისეთი რამეებია ნაჩვენები, ყველა სხვა მწვრთნელი ნაძარცვი განძივით რომ მალავს.
_ რატომ ასეთი გახსნილობა ედი? _ ჰკითხეს ჟურნალისტებმა.
ჯოუნსი ხომ არასოდეს და არაფერს აკეთებს "ისე", მიზნის და მიზეზის გარეშე.
_ იმიტომ რომ, როცა რაღაცას გასცემ შემდეგ იძულებული ხდები, ახალი გამოიგონო, ეძებო, წინ იარო! იმიტომ რომ პროფესიული სპორტი მუდმივ ძიებას და უკეთესობისკენ მუდმივ სწრაფვას ნიშნავს!
როგორ შეიძლება ეგეთი კაცის წიგნი უინტერესო იყოს?!
დიდი მწვრთნელის ძალიან საინტერესო წიგნი, სავსე ისეთი დეტალებით, რომლებსაც იშვიათად ამხელს მისი ხელობის ხალხი. ედი ჯოუნსი ხომ თავისი სარაგბო მიღწევების გარდა, სწორედ იმით არის ცნობილი, რომ პირველმა ჩაახედა სამყარო ყველაზე ღრმად საკუთარ სარაგბო სამზარეულოში, როდესაც ინგლისის ნაკრების შეკრებების იმ ვიდეოსერიების გამოქვეყნება დაიწყო Youtube-ზე, რომლებშიც ისეთი რამეებია ნაჩვენები, ყველა სხვა მწვრთნელი ნაძარცვი განძივით რომ მალავს.
_ რატომ ასეთი გახსნილობა ედი? _ ჰკითხეს ჟურნალისტებმა.
ჯოუნსი ხომ არასოდეს და არაფერს აკეთებს "ისე", მიზნის და მიზეზის გარეშე.
_ იმიტომ რომ, როცა რაღაცას გასცემ შემდეგ იძულებული ხდები, ახალი გამოიგონო, ეძებო, წინ იარო! იმიტომ რომ პროფესიული სპორტი მუდმივ ძიებას და უკეთესობისკენ მუდმივ სწრაფვას ნიშნავს!
როგორ შეიძლება ეგეთი კაცის წიგნი უინტერესო იყოს?!
June 28, 2021
Ik heb weinig tot geen liefde voor het Britse rugby team, of voor hun coach Eddie Jones. Maar zijn resultaten liegen er niet om. Jones verteld een kleurrijk verhaal over alle verschillende teams die hij heeft mogen coachen, en zijn visie op rugby en alles eromheen. Voor iedere rugby liefhebber dus eigenlijk best een aanrader.
July 18, 2021
I only really watch rugby when it’s England in major comps. But I have a fascination with leaders in the sport, and what it looks like behind the scenes.
Eddie’s book is full of passion, enthusiasm and honesty about the sport and also his desire to be better as a coach and person. So much can be learnt from who he is, not just who he coaches.
Took me a little while to really lock into this one, worth the wait though.
Eddie’s book is full of passion, enthusiasm and honesty about the sport and also his desire to be better as a coach and person. So much can be learnt from who he is, not just who he coaches.
Took me a little while to really lock into this one, worth the wait though.
October 26, 2021
Interesting biography from a world class rugby coach. I'm always interested in learning from different sports and applying them to my primary 2 sports of boxing and football. What certainly came out very strong with eddie Jones is his personality type of being a boxer Archer. By that I mean someone who really wants to get things done and can do them in an aggressive way at times. But also someone who has a very high level of attention to detail. This came up a few times in the book when he would ask some of his assistant coaches when coaching England or some of the other countries he's been leading to deliver him a report and analysis of the opposition team by 2:00 AM. He would often make these requests quite late at night and expect friends of his who are also the assistant coaches to deliver. He's half Japanese and there's certainly a strong work ethic that he seemed to got from his mum on the Japanese side which comes across very strongly in the book. Humble backgrounds by the sound of it but really interesting to see how he evolved and went on to coach in so many different continents. Anyway here's some of the best bits from the book:
Mom was not so laid back she was tough on us when we were young instilling discipline and rigor into our lives. After her upbringing she was never going to let her children waste their talents. She saw life as a precious gift and insisted that we make the most of it. Australia was a land of opportunity and the children were not going to miss out.
I'd run for three miles every morning at 6:00 AM with our Dalmatian dog. I intensified my efforts and besides running began to lift weights on my own in the evening. I knew that to play senior rugby at a high level I needed to become bigger and stronger. I already had a good understanding of the game but I studied it even more intensely. I loved the fact that rugby was such a technical game you could wind in numerous ways.
Bob made me understand that determination and emotional courage had to be at the heart of every endeavor. Any achievement of note would take hard work and application.
How the hell didn't anybody say anything? The players were quiet. Bob pointed at pat. How many randwick caps have you got mate? 200 the prop replied. You played 200 games for us pat and what did you say in the second half? The prop shook his head. Nothing. Sunny: This highlights the importance of trusting in your experience and being able to speak up in a moment when your team is failing or going in the direction that you don't want it to go in. be brave. Speak your mind.
He helped me understand that his demands were actually markers of his respect for us. If he expected something of the highest order then he must have thought we were capable of reaching those high standards. It was a compliment rather than an insult.
I began to understand that the Japanese have been educated to be passive and subservient because in the past they had been such an aggressive race. That aggression was obliterated along with so much else by the ending of the Second World War and the atomic bombs which fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It was as if the Japanese had decided that meekness was better than annihilation.
Like all innovations it required courage to make it work because as soon as you try something unorthodox and it doesn't go well initially you are likely to face enormous criticism. You need to remember that any worthwhile new way of thinking takes time to refine.
Boys, today we've got to be like jackals around the garbage bin. In encourage ING us to win the breakdown Jake introduced the phrase “to Jackal”. As far as I am aware is the very first time this term had ever been used and it just stuck. Now familiar in rugby parlance it became synonymous with flankers scavenging for the ball and winning it at the breakdown.
Sonny: flankers are the big guys on the sides of the scrums who break out very quickly to go and hunt for the ball with the backs.
Jake was very smart and we share the view that everything boiled down to the World Cup. He was willing to take a few hits along the way to peek in the biggest tournament of them all. Importance of peaking at the right time.
A week after I took over in May 2012 japan's under 20s played Wales under 20s. They lost by 119 points to 7. I gathered all the development coaches together the following day. I said: we're a country of 120 million. Wales are a country of three million. How can a big country get beaten so badly by a small country? I want you to come back with the reasons. I split them into the groups and they returned with three points: we're not big enough. We don't train hard enough. We've got a farmers’ mentality. I obviously understood the first two but I didn't have a clue what a farmers mentality was. Then it was explained that before the Second World War 75% of Japanese people grew rice for a living. They lived in rural villages where a dominant boss drove them hard as they had a quota of rice to grow. Anyone who rebelled or upset the production line would be kicked off the farm or out of the village and left to fend for themselves. So everyone toed the line and did what they were told. My development coaches told me that Japanese people even in the society transformed by technology had not shaken their farmers mentality. They lived to please their boss and showed little to no instinct for leadership.
Link to brave new words: they could handle the one off sessions without no difficulty but it became harder for them when there were five sessions in a day and we trained for the first five weeks without a day off. Every hour of every day was mapped out. They were stretched and engaged constantly, whether working on basic handling or scrummaging skills wrestling in boxing, cycling or problem solving exercises. It was fascinating to be at the heart of it to watch them suffer and yet the same time growing strength and resolve. The Japanese players even more than the foreign imports took to the regime with messianic zeal. They radiated commitment and conviction. The “beat the boks” (springboks) call echoed around the training centers again and again.
The world has changed so much with young people spending so much time on social media that connecting authentically in person while bringing groups together is a dying art. Why I created little CICCers and CICC.
Because of the intense media scrutiny many players didn't show the same freedom and energy with England that they produced for their clubs. They worried about making mistakes. So instead of wanting the ball they tended to hang back. They reminded me of a certain kind of fielder in cricket. Once you drop a catch the good player wants the ball to come his way again as soon as possible. But less gifted and more tentative player thinks please don't hit it my way again.
Everything is so organized that players don't have to show initiative. This impacts on leadership. The two are entwined because to show leadership you need initiative. You have to be prepared to do things to create movement in progress. If you show initiative then people will follow you. But the problem is that players are becoming too robotic.
I injected some chaos into the usual routine. The players would be told to turn up at a meeting starting at 8:00 AM the next morning meanwhile I had made sure that we had set up a hidden video camera in the training center. My fellow coaches and I would be in different parts of the hotel monitoring their behavior when they turned up and began milling around. After 15 minutes of waiting aimlessly it began to dawn on them that we were not joining them. It was fascinating to watch how after the initial confusion a couple of players stood up and lead the way.
In late 2017 while speaking to the press I had said: plays like to get comfortable. They like to have a nice house drive a Range Rover like do the things every day in training the same way. To get them to have the courage to try to be different is the biggest trick. Encourage ING them to do that consistently to be different is vital. Don't be comfortable being uncomfortable. Sunny: what I always say to samar and roman. Dare to be different.
As a part of this drive to improve we looked everywhere for advantage. In a conversation with swimming coach bill sweetenham, he mentioned the work of the neurologist professor Vincent Walsh from my old university (sunny) University College London. Knowing we had limited time with the players we explored ways to maximize impact on their learning. Vincent introduced four key principles. The first was to ensure that the room in which you spoke to the players was open and well lit. The second principle was to introduce some sort of primer that would release dopamine train. Third was to build on the structure of only having three points. And so the 4th principle was to start and not to finish. We would leave meetings without resolution. This allowed the players to think more about the final solution.
Mom was not so laid back she was tough on us when we were young instilling discipline and rigor into our lives. After her upbringing she was never going to let her children waste their talents. She saw life as a precious gift and insisted that we make the most of it. Australia was a land of opportunity and the children were not going to miss out.
I'd run for three miles every morning at 6:00 AM with our Dalmatian dog. I intensified my efforts and besides running began to lift weights on my own in the evening. I knew that to play senior rugby at a high level I needed to become bigger and stronger. I already had a good understanding of the game but I studied it even more intensely. I loved the fact that rugby was such a technical game you could wind in numerous ways.
Bob made me understand that determination and emotional courage had to be at the heart of every endeavor. Any achievement of note would take hard work and application.
How the hell didn't anybody say anything? The players were quiet. Bob pointed at pat. How many randwick caps have you got mate? 200 the prop replied. You played 200 games for us pat and what did you say in the second half? The prop shook his head. Nothing. Sunny: This highlights the importance of trusting in your experience and being able to speak up in a moment when your team is failing or going in the direction that you don't want it to go in. be brave. Speak your mind.
He helped me understand that his demands were actually markers of his respect for us. If he expected something of the highest order then he must have thought we were capable of reaching those high standards. It was a compliment rather than an insult.
I began to understand that the Japanese have been educated to be passive and subservient because in the past they had been such an aggressive race. That aggression was obliterated along with so much else by the ending of the Second World War and the atomic bombs which fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It was as if the Japanese had decided that meekness was better than annihilation.
Like all innovations it required courage to make it work because as soon as you try something unorthodox and it doesn't go well initially you are likely to face enormous criticism. You need to remember that any worthwhile new way of thinking takes time to refine.
Boys, today we've got to be like jackals around the garbage bin. In encourage ING us to win the breakdown Jake introduced the phrase “to Jackal”. As far as I am aware is the very first time this term had ever been used and it just stuck. Now familiar in rugby parlance it became synonymous with flankers scavenging for the ball and winning it at the breakdown.
Sonny: flankers are the big guys on the sides of the scrums who break out very quickly to go and hunt for the ball with the backs.
Jake was very smart and we share the view that everything boiled down to the World Cup. He was willing to take a few hits along the way to peek in the biggest tournament of them all. Importance of peaking at the right time.
A week after I took over in May 2012 japan's under 20s played Wales under 20s. They lost by 119 points to 7. I gathered all the development coaches together the following day. I said: we're a country of 120 million. Wales are a country of three million. How can a big country get beaten so badly by a small country? I want you to come back with the reasons. I split them into the groups and they returned with three points: we're not big enough. We don't train hard enough. We've got a farmers’ mentality. I obviously understood the first two but I didn't have a clue what a farmers mentality was. Then it was explained that before the Second World War 75% of Japanese people grew rice for a living. They lived in rural villages where a dominant boss drove them hard as they had a quota of rice to grow. Anyone who rebelled or upset the production line would be kicked off the farm or out of the village and left to fend for themselves. So everyone toed the line and did what they were told. My development coaches told me that Japanese people even in the society transformed by technology had not shaken their farmers mentality. They lived to please their boss and showed little to no instinct for leadership.
Link to brave new words: they could handle the one off sessions without no difficulty but it became harder for them when there were five sessions in a day and we trained for the first five weeks without a day off. Every hour of every day was mapped out. They were stretched and engaged constantly, whether working on basic handling or scrummaging skills wrestling in boxing, cycling or problem solving exercises. It was fascinating to be at the heart of it to watch them suffer and yet the same time growing strength and resolve. The Japanese players even more than the foreign imports took to the regime with messianic zeal. They radiated commitment and conviction. The “beat the boks” (springboks) call echoed around the training centers again and again.
The world has changed so much with young people spending so much time on social media that connecting authentically in person while bringing groups together is a dying art. Why I created little CICCers and CICC.
Because of the intense media scrutiny many players didn't show the same freedom and energy with England that they produced for their clubs. They worried about making mistakes. So instead of wanting the ball they tended to hang back. They reminded me of a certain kind of fielder in cricket. Once you drop a catch the good player wants the ball to come his way again as soon as possible. But less gifted and more tentative player thinks please don't hit it my way again.
Everything is so organized that players don't have to show initiative. This impacts on leadership. The two are entwined because to show leadership you need initiative. You have to be prepared to do things to create movement in progress. If you show initiative then people will follow you. But the problem is that players are becoming too robotic.
I injected some chaos into the usual routine. The players would be told to turn up at a meeting starting at 8:00 AM the next morning meanwhile I had made sure that we had set up a hidden video camera in the training center. My fellow coaches and I would be in different parts of the hotel monitoring their behavior when they turned up and began milling around. After 15 minutes of waiting aimlessly it began to dawn on them that we were not joining them. It was fascinating to watch how after the initial confusion a couple of players stood up and lead the way.
In late 2017 while speaking to the press I had said: plays like to get comfortable. They like to have a nice house drive a Range Rover like do the things every day in training the same way. To get them to have the courage to try to be different is the biggest trick. Encourage ING them to do that consistently to be different is vital. Don't be comfortable being uncomfortable. Sunny: what I always say to samar and roman. Dare to be different.
As a part of this drive to improve we looked everywhere for advantage. In a conversation with swimming coach bill sweetenham, he mentioned the work of the neurologist professor Vincent Walsh from my old university (sunny) University College London. Knowing we had limited time with the players we explored ways to maximize impact on their learning. Vincent introduced four key principles. The first was to ensure that the room in which you spoke to the players was open and well lit. The second principle was to introduce some sort of primer that would release dopamine train. Third was to build on the structure of only having three points. And so the 4th principle was to start and not to finish. We would leave meetings without resolution. This allowed the players to think more about the final solution.
May 12, 2021
My Life and Rugby is an autobiography by Eddie Jones following his life but focusing on the Rugby throughout it. It details his young rugby career in Australia at Randwick, his early school teaching career, and all his time as a coach up until 2019. Coaching the Brumbies, Japan, Australia, The Reds and currently England, including the 2019 World Cup. Eddie talks through all his career decisions and strategies and how the behind the scenes of rugby really works. I listened to Eddie narrate this in the audiobook version. This is definitely a book for rugby lovers!
Eddie details MANY rugby matches throughout his life which was fascinating to hear, not only a written account, but from a managerial perspective. Other than the match stories he goes though his life chronologically and the advance of his career. We also get tidbits of his wife and daughter and his families history, (notably his mothers racial struggles as a Japanese American during WW2 and the internment camps.) It was fascinating to hear about that personal history in particular, although not gone into much detail. I wish it had, but I suppose that was not Eddie's story to tell, nor the focus of the book and deserves it's own spotlight. This book is all about rugby and anything else is icing on the cake.
I really enjoyed the narrative and getting to see Eddie's career unfold. I loved the descriptions of the matches and the explanations behind the decisions that were made. There was a lot of strategy, media attention, philosophy and passion in the book and you can feel Eddies love and dedication to the sport (which has a big place in my heart as well.) This book is a love letter to rugby and I loved that. You really get a lot of Eddie and his personality and opinions throughout the book. Eddie comes across as dedicated, hard working, curious, honest, strategic and straight forward. Eddie has a love it or hate it personality and does not apologise for the honesty and hard work he puts into the game. Some may read it as arrogance but I found his candid recollections refreshing and honest. I found it especially fun to hear the accounts of games in the past that I had no privy to, and start to see the more modern games and players (which I know very well) enter the book and the narrative. It was fun on both sides of hearing games I had never seen from the past and hearing from a first hand perspective of games I remember watching in recent years.
I dislike rating autobiographies, because how can you rate ones life? However all I can tell you is I'm a massive rugby fan and England supporter and I had a blast reading this book. I felt like I was there with him. I got a lot of behind the scene understanding and feel that much closer to the manager to my team, England. It was well written, personable and intelligent. I found there were lots of interesting lessons hidden along the way and reflecting on the past to always be better for the future. There is a big theme of hard work and learning from your mistakes to become better and that life is always an uphill climb with new battles that complacency won't solve. It's a rugby book for rugby lovers and those who want that extra strategy and knowledge of the game.
Eddie details MANY rugby matches throughout his life which was fascinating to hear, not only a written account, but from a managerial perspective. Other than the match stories he goes though his life chronologically and the advance of his career. We also get tidbits of his wife and daughter and his families history, (notably his mothers racial struggles as a Japanese American during WW2 and the internment camps.) It was fascinating to hear about that personal history in particular, although not gone into much detail. I wish it had, but I suppose that was not Eddie's story to tell, nor the focus of the book and deserves it's own spotlight. This book is all about rugby and anything else is icing on the cake.
I really enjoyed the narrative and getting to see Eddie's career unfold. I loved the descriptions of the matches and the explanations behind the decisions that were made. There was a lot of strategy, media attention, philosophy and passion in the book and you can feel Eddies love and dedication to the sport (which has a big place in my heart as well.) This book is a love letter to rugby and I loved that. You really get a lot of Eddie and his personality and opinions throughout the book. Eddie comes across as dedicated, hard working, curious, honest, strategic and straight forward. Eddie has a love it or hate it personality and does not apologise for the honesty and hard work he puts into the game. Some may read it as arrogance but I found his candid recollections refreshing and honest. I found it especially fun to hear the accounts of games in the past that I had no privy to, and start to see the more modern games and players (which I know very well) enter the book and the narrative. It was fun on both sides of hearing games I had never seen from the past and hearing from a first hand perspective of games I remember watching in recent years.
I dislike rating autobiographies, because how can you rate ones life? However all I can tell you is I'm a massive rugby fan and England supporter and I had a blast reading this book. I felt like I was there with him. I got a lot of behind the scene understanding and feel that much closer to the manager to my team, England. It was well written, personable and intelligent. I found there were lots of interesting lessons hidden along the way and reflecting on the past to always be better for the future. There is a big theme of hard work and learning from your mistakes to become better and that life is always an uphill climb with new battles that complacency won't solve. It's a rugby book for rugby lovers and those who want that extra strategy and knowledge of the game.
January 16, 2020
Excellent rugby biography. A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the coaching of some of the best teams in the world. I especially loved the section about the 2019 World Cup in Japan - what a fabulous tournament that was.
February 18, 2021
This is a great insight into a man who is shaped by the English rugby media as some what of a monster.
His honesty from his beginnings as a teacher, his cultural inspirations and star studded playing career make for an excellent segway tour to RWC, 2020.
His transition into coaching allowed his obsession to be misconstrued by others as a soulless man looking to burn bridges with players, friends and family. But his excerpts from a long life show his true emotions and motives behind many controversial decisions.
His honesty from his beginnings as a teacher, his cultural inspirations and star studded playing career make for an excellent segway tour to RWC, 2020.
His transition into coaching allowed his obsession to be misconstrued by others as a soulless man looking to burn bridges with players, friends and family. But his excerpts from a long life show his true emotions and motives behind many controversial decisions.
January 15, 2021
I can count the number of Rugby matches I have sat down and watched of my own free will on my fingers. The common denominator in the majority of those matches, unbeknownst to me until I read “My Life and Rugby,” was Eddie Jones.
I wouldn’t class myself as a Rugby fan, I do enjoy reading books on coaching at elite levels however. Knowing him as the man who took England to the 2019 World Cup Final Jones ticked that box. Co-penned by Donald McRae, my interest was immediately piqued.Among other titles McRae scribed A Man’s World, a great read about gay boxer Emile Griffiths and Dark Trade, possibly the best book ever written on the sport of Boxing.
The prologue sees us with Jones as he prepares his Japan team to face South Africa in the 2015 World Cup. It didn’t take me long to consult my Rugby Filofax and note that this is one of the few matches I have watched. Beer and an afternoon in the pub with my friends was the driving factor behind deciding to watch the match for me but as it unfolded the shouts of touchdown every time there was a try (Rugby fans don’t like that) soon gave way to a curious interest. As my friend and fountain of Rugby knowledge Matt tried to explain a comparative upset in Football parlance for the heathens of the group, hands up, Japan were doing the unthinkable and producing probably the greatest upset in Rugby World Cup history.
We’re then sent back in time to Jones’ childhood. This can be the part where an autobiography loses me. While it is understandable that the person writing their memoir wants to revisit their childhood some will inevitably spend too long perhaps on this section from a reader’s perspective. Rugby has always been a big part of Jones’ life though and he navigates us through his formative and playing years without the reader becoming stuck in the mud. Two words, institutions that will become a recurring theme throughout the pages, Matraville and Randwick make their first appearances in this section of the book. The former being Jones’ school, the latter his first Rugby team.
Soon we are reading about Jones’ coaching career. Something I won’t re-write here because that is the point of reading the book. Through these pages I found out that Jones was the Wallabies coach when England beat Australia in the 2003 World Cup Final. Another on my list of Rugby matches watched. We get an insight in to Jones’ character both on and off of the coaching field, while he references coaches from Rugby and other sports who have helped him hone his own craft. It is interesting to piece together the potential genesis of some of the pearls of wisdom Jones mentions. For example, he learnt to be an “ideas thief,” from Pep Guardiola. From reading The Quality of Madness, a book about football manager Marcelo Bielsa, it becomes clear that a lot of Guardiola’s approach is modelled on Bielsa and the two spent time together while Guardiola’s managerial career was in its infancy. Bielsa himself will have picked this idea up from someone else. The idea of being an ideas thief espoused by Eddie Jones ironically is a stolen idea itself. Fantastic.
From what I can gather, media interpretations of Jones set him up to be quite a hardline coach and he uses his book to show he is indeed human. Throughout he mentions family and close friends. The words he has to talk about his father’s passing are quite touching in particular.
Aside from the sports management lessons and anecdotes I took away a better understanding of the game of Rugby from this book. My personal opinion of the sport has softened considerably since I broke my toe as a 12-year-old in my first scrum during a Rugby lesson at secondary school and renounced the sport forever more. It is a good read, even for a non-Rugby fan. I can see myself taking a closer interest in the sport in future and that will be in no small part thanks to reading Eddie Jones, My Life and Rugby.
I wouldn’t class myself as a Rugby fan, I do enjoy reading books on coaching at elite levels however. Knowing him as the man who took England to the 2019 World Cup Final Jones ticked that box. Co-penned by Donald McRae, my interest was immediately piqued.Among other titles McRae scribed A Man’s World, a great read about gay boxer Emile Griffiths and Dark Trade, possibly the best book ever written on the sport of Boxing.
The prologue sees us with Jones as he prepares his Japan team to face South Africa in the 2015 World Cup. It didn’t take me long to consult my Rugby Filofax and note that this is one of the few matches I have watched. Beer and an afternoon in the pub with my friends was the driving factor behind deciding to watch the match for me but as it unfolded the shouts of touchdown every time there was a try (Rugby fans don’t like that) soon gave way to a curious interest. As my friend and fountain of Rugby knowledge Matt tried to explain a comparative upset in Football parlance for the heathens of the group, hands up, Japan were doing the unthinkable and producing probably the greatest upset in Rugby World Cup history.
We’re then sent back in time to Jones’ childhood. This can be the part where an autobiography loses me. While it is understandable that the person writing their memoir wants to revisit their childhood some will inevitably spend too long perhaps on this section from a reader’s perspective. Rugby has always been a big part of Jones’ life though and he navigates us through his formative and playing years without the reader becoming stuck in the mud. Two words, institutions that will become a recurring theme throughout the pages, Matraville and Randwick make their first appearances in this section of the book. The former being Jones’ school, the latter his first Rugby team.
Soon we are reading about Jones’ coaching career. Something I won’t re-write here because that is the point of reading the book. Through these pages I found out that Jones was the Wallabies coach when England beat Australia in the 2003 World Cup Final. Another on my list of Rugby matches watched. We get an insight in to Jones’ character both on and off of the coaching field, while he references coaches from Rugby and other sports who have helped him hone his own craft. It is interesting to piece together the potential genesis of some of the pearls of wisdom Jones mentions. For example, he learnt to be an “ideas thief,” from Pep Guardiola. From reading The Quality of Madness, a book about football manager Marcelo Bielsa, it becomes clear that a lot of Guardiola’s approach is modelled on Bielsa and the two spent time together while Guardiola’s managerial career was in its infancy. Bielsa himself will have picked this idea up from someone else. The idea of being an ideas thief espoused by Eddie Jones ironically is a stolen idea itself. Fantastic.
From what I can gather, media interpretations of Jones set him up to be quite a hardline coach and he uses his book to show he is indeed human. Throughout he mentions family and close friends. The words he has to talk about his father’s passing are quite touching in particular.
Aside from the sports management lessons and anecdotes I took away a better understanding of the game of Rugby from this book. My personal opinion of the sport has softened considerably since I broke my toe as a 12-year-old in my first scrum during a Rugby lesson at secondary school and renounced the sport forever more. It is a good read, even for a non-Rugby fan. I can see myself taking a closer interest in the sport in future and that will be in no small part thanks to reading Eddie Jones, My Life and Rugby.
December 21, 2025
Visionair of charlatan? Er was een tijd dat Eddie Jones dezelfde accolades kreeg als Rassie Erasmus nu. Maar in tegenstelling tot de director of rugby van de Bokke kreeg Eddie Jones nooit een schorsing voor het beledigen van officials.
We kennen Jones natuurlijk als bondscoach van Japan en later Engeland, maar hij was coach van Australië in 20023 toen ze de finale van het WK op eigen bodem van Engeland verloren en assistent-coach van Zuid-Afrika toen die in 2007 hun tweede Web Ellis Trophy wonnen. Maar daarvoor had hij al een leven als speler en clubcoach achter de rug. Hij groeide op met de ‘Ella-broers’, Glen, Gary en Mark en speelde samen met hen zowel league als union. Als zoon van een Japanse moeder en Australische vader kwam hij lengte en kracht te kort voor het allerhoogste niveau, maar speelde wel tien jaar voor Randwick en kwam onder andere uit tegen The British & Irish Lions in 1989. Hij werd natuurlijk pas echt bekend als coach en dan met name door zijn gedrevenheid. Wars van titels en carrières deed hij zijn eigen ding en was (mede)verantwoordelijk voor de successen van de Brave Blossoms (Japan) in 2015 en 2019. In 2015 nam hij het zwalkende schip Engeland over toen die net in de poulefase uit hun eigen WK waren gegooid. Hij transformeerde het team tot de machine die Nieuw-Zeeland in de halve finale van het WK in Japan van de mat speelden. Jones is net te beroerd om zijn fouten toe te geven in dit zeer onderhoudende boek. Zoals een aantal tactische blunders in de finale van het WK 2019. Hij is sowieso zeer openhartig en dat is een verademing, omdat veel biografieën een aaneenrijging van complimenten zijn dan een af en toe kritische beschrijving van de hoofdpersoon.
Jones is een echt rugbybeest die in een paar dagen voor de WK finale van 2019 nog op een school langsging voor een clinic. Ook in Nederland gaf jij diverse gasttrainingen op verzoek van zijn oud-clubgenoot Des Tuivaii. Het boek verscheen in 2019 en eindigt dan ook met het verlies tegen Zuid-Afrika in Yokohama. Notabene het land waar hij zijn grootste overwinning mee boekte toen zijn ‘kleine’ Japan de enorme Springbokke in Brighton versloeg met 34-32 in 2015. Na 2019 kwam zijn carriere een beetje in het slop. Hij werd ontslagen door de RFU en leidde Australië naar een dramatische uitschakeling in de poulefase tijdens het WK van 2023. Momenteel is hij voor de tweede keer Eddie-San in Japan met zeer wisselende resultaten. Maar welke tegenslagen Jones nog mee zal maken in zijn verdere leven als (bonds)coach, hij zal altijd herinnerd worden aan het ‘Wonder van Brighton’.
‘My Life and Rugby’ is een van de betere (auto)biografieën die ik de laatste jaren las en bestel je natuurlijk bij de lokale boekhandel, zo helpen we de middenstand.
We kennen Jones natuurlijk als bondscoach van Japan en later Engeland, maar hij was coach van Australië in 20023 toen ze de finale van het WK op eigen bodem van Engeland verloren en assistent-coach van Zuid-Afrika toen die in 2007 hun tweede Web Ellis Trophy wonnen. Maar daarvoor had hij al een leven als speler en clubcoach achter de rug. Hij groeide op met de ‘Ella-broers’, Glen, Gary en Mark en speelde samen met hen zowel league als union. Als zoon van een Japanse moeder en Australische vader kwam hij lengte en kracht te kort voor het allerhoogste niveau, maar speelde wel tien jaar voor Randwick en kwam onder andere uit tegen The British & Irish Lions in 1989. Hij werd natuurlijk pas echt bekend als coach en dan met name door zijn gedrevenheid. Wars van titels en carrières deed hij zijn eigen ding en was (mede)verantwoordelijk voor de successen van de Brave Blossoms (Japan) in 2015 en 2019. In 2015 nam hij het zwalkende schip Engeland over toen die net in de poulefase uit hun eigen WK waren gegooid. Hij transformeerde het team tot de machine die Nieuw-Zeeland in de halve finale van het WK in Japan van de mat speelden. Jones is net te beroerd om zijn fouten toe te geven in dit zeer onderhoudende boek. Zoals een aantal tactische blunders in de finale van het WK 2019. Hij is sowieso zeer openhartig en dat is een verademing, omdat veel biografieën een aaneenrijging van complimenten zijn dan een af en toe kritische beschrijving van de hoofdpersoon.
Jones is een echt rugbybeest die in een paar dagen voor de WK finale van 2019 nog op een school langsging voor een clinic. Ook in Nederland gaf jij diverse gasttrainingen op verzoek van zijn oud-clubgenoot Des Tuivaii. Het boek verscheen in 2019 en eindigt dan ook met het verlies tegen Zuid-Afrika in Yokohama. Notabene het land waar hij zijn grootste overwinning mee boekte toen zijn ‘kleine’ Japan de enorme Springbokke in Brighton versloeg met 34-32 in 2015. Na 2019 kwam zijn carriere een beetje in het slop. Hij werd ontslagen door de RFU en leidde Australië naar een dramatische uitschakeling in de poulefase tijdens het WK van 2023. Momenteel is hij voor de tweede keer Eddie-San in Japan met zeer wisselende resultaten. Maar welke tegenslagen Jones nog mee zal maken in zijn verdere leven als (bonds)coach, hij zal altijd herinnerd worden aan het ‘Wonder van Brighton’.
‘My Life and Rugby’ is een van de betere (auto)biografieën die ik de laatste jaren las en bestel je natuurlijk bij de lokale boekhandel, zo helpen we de middenstand.
February 16, 2020
I have read a few sport autobiographies over the past two or three years, and this has been the most well written by far. It makes fascinating reading for a rugby fan of any nationality as, over the course of his career so far, Eddie Jones has coached in several different countries at both domestic and national level. In the course of this honest book I certainly felt that I got to know Eddie better, and quite a clear picture comes through of an extremely hardworking man who has great respect for his parents, love for his family, and admiration for many people who have either mentored him, he’s worked alongside, or whom he’s coached.
However, this book isn’t just for rugby aficionados as anyone who is involved in management or leadership in any capacity can also learn a lot from these pages. It seems to me that the reason that Eddie Jones has been such a successful coach, particularly evidenced in recent years by the rise of the Japanese national team and the turnaround in the England team, is that he has learned the importance of two keys: team culture and leadership. Being given an insight into how he goes about changing and developing culture and identifying and developing leaders, is something that I found particularly fascinating having been involved in leadership myself, albeit in a completely different context.
I can’t end this review though without mentioning again how well written this book is. It didn’t surprise me to learn that Donald McRae, the co-author, has won several awards for his work, including the William Hill Sports Book of the Year – twice. I would like to thank him for helping Eddie Jones make his story available. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the best book, certainly non-fiction, that I read this year.
However, this book isn’t just for rugby aficionados as anyone who is involved in management or leadership in any capacity can also learn a lot from these pages. It seems to me that the reason that Eddie Jones has been such a successful coach, particularly evidenced in recent years by the rise of the Japanese national team and the turnaround in the England team, is that he has learned the importance of two keys: team culture and leadership. Being given an insight into how he goes about changing and developing culture and identifying and developing leaders, is something that I found particularly fascinating having been involved in leadership myself, albeit in a completely different context.
I can’t end this review though without mentioning again how well written this book is. It didn’t surprise me to learn that Donald McRae, the co-author, has won several awards for his work, including the William Hill Sports Book of the Year – twice. I would like to thank him for helping Eddie Jones make his story available. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the best book, certainly non-fiction, that I read this year.
April 19, 2020
A fascinating insight into the private and professional life of a highly influential and controversial sportsman. Eddie Jones' autobiography shares lessons learnt from extreme highs and lows in a way that is both specific to his life and applicable to many others.
From humble beginnings as a schoolboy sports fanatic Jones followed his passion for rugby as a player and later as a world-class coach. Throughout his career he has had an impact on the game attracting praise and criticism, both in equal, vast measures. Regardless of the talk surrounding his actions he has remained fixated on one thing - the pursuit of excellence.
Driven by an unwavering conviction and a relentless self-confidence he has followed his gut and made his own path putting both his career and coaching reputation on the line. He has led both clubs (notably the Brumbies) and national teams (Japan, The Wallabies and England among others) to achieve incredible, unprecedented things.
While his achievements have not necessarily all been glossy and gold-plated, they have helped define the progression of World Rugby and shaped the future of the sport for the better.
From humble beginnings as a schoolboy sports fanatic Jones followed his passion for rugby as a player and later as a world-class coach. Throughout his career he has had an impact on the game attracting praise and criticism, both in equal, vast measures. Regardless of the talk surrounding his actions he has remained fixated on one thing - the pursuit of excellence.
Driven by an unwavering conviction and a relentless self-confidence he has followed his gut and made his own path putting both his career and coaching reputation on the line. He has led both clubs (notably the Brumbies) and national teams (Japan, The Wallabies and England among others) to achieve incredible, unprecedented things.
While his achievements have not necessarily all been glossy and gold-plated, they have helped define the progression of World Rugby and shaped the future of the sport for the better.
January 31, 2024
Reposted from CB Book Reviews on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C2yDqwvtD...
Another of those books which has been sat on the ‘To Be Read’ pile for far longer than it should have been; which, given it follows Eddie Jones’ career up until the end of the 2019 Rugby Union World Cup, has meant that it felt outdated, and I regret that I did not read it sooner.
However, given the controversy surrounding Jones over the last 18 months or so, I found that this was still an intriguing time to read about his career.
This has made the book an informative read, as I’ll admit, apart from the short snippets of headlines, I wasn’t all that knowledgeable of his history. Eddie takes you through his life, from the stories of his parents past, experiencing racism and concentration camps in America, and discrimination in Japan and Australia. His story continues through his own playing career and then into his coaching career up to 2019.
In typical Eddie Jones style, he seems to leave a swiping comment on various or situations, at the end of each paragraph.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C2yDqwvtD...
Another of those books which has been sat on the ‘To Be Read’ pile for far longer than it should have been; which, given it follows Eddie Jones’ career up until the end of the 2019 Rugby Union World Cup, has meant that it felt outdated, and I regret that I did not read it sooner.
However, given the controversy surrounding Jones over the last 18 months or so, I found that this was still an intriguing time to read about his career.
This has made the book an informative read, as I’ll admit, apart from the short snippets of headlines, I wasn’t all that knowledgeable of his history. Eddie takes you through his life, from the stories of his parents past, experiencing racism and concentration camps in America, and discrimination in Japan and Australia. His story continues through his own playing career and then into his coaching career up to 2019.
In typical Eddie Jones style, he seems to leave a swiping comment on various or situations, at the end of each paragraph.
January 20, 2020
Rather than being subtitled “My Life and Rugby” this should be “The Randwick Way”. Beaver (Eddie) seems obsessed with Randwick and its coaching staff throughout the book.
I have never held Eddie Jones in high esteem and that hasn’t changed since reading his autobiography. Despite this I really enjoyed reading this book.
Prior to reading this book my thought was Eddie was arrogant. I now think he is a narcissist. He considers himself solely responsible for the discovery of George Smith and the inclusion of Loti Tuquiri, Matt Rogers and Wendell Sailor in the 2003 Wallabies.
There are obvious events that still haunt him especially losing the 2000 Super Rugby Final as Brumbies coach and his decision to coach the QLD Reds in 2007.
Aptly the book concludes after the 2019 World Cup final. Beaver has no regrets.......
I have never held Eddie Jones in high esteem and that hasn’t changed since reading his autobiography. Despite this I really enjoyed reading this book.
Prior to reading this book my thought was Eddie was arrogant. I now think he is a narcissist. He considers himself solely responsible for the discovery of George Smith and the inclusion of Loti Tuquiri, Matt Rogers and Wendell Sailor in the 2003 Wallabies.
There are obvious events that still haunt him especially losing the 2000 Super Rugby Final as Brumbies coach and his decision to coach the QLD Reds in 2007.
Aptly the book concludes after the 2019 World Cup final. Beaver has no regrets.......
October 22, 2021
A really insightful book that looks back at Eddie Jones'career in rugby. There are lots of insights in coaching philosophy and training methods plus of course, the players and games that Jones has coached. It's a book that would really appeal to any sports coach because Jones has always pushed the boundaries to make his teams and players better.
Jones is not afraid to borrow ideas from other coaches and other sports. Pep Guardiola, for example, explains how tactical periodisation is used in football training. It becomes clear that Jones is not afraid of adapting his style of rugby to different cultures and countries. His theories of English rugby make for interesting reading and his work with the Japanese national team in the 2015 World Cup, heartwarming.
Plenty of good stuff in here that can be used beyond sporting circles particularly business.
Jones is not afraid to borrow ideas from other coaches and other sports. Pep Guardiola, for example, explains how tactical periodisation is used in football training. It becomes clear that Jones is not afraid of adapting his style of rugby to different cultures and countries. His theories of English rugby make for interesting reading and his work with the Japanese national team in the 2015 World Cup, heartwarming.
Plenty of good stuff in here that can be used beyond sporting circles particularly business.
April 26, 2020
Known recently as the coach of the England rugby union team that finished runners-up at the 2019 Rugby World Cup and more known as the coach of the 2015 Japanese rugby team that upset South Africa in the previous Rugby World Cup, Eddie gave some wonderful stories that reflected his interesting life - being biracial with a Japanese-American mother growing up in 1970s Australia, playing rugby union in one of the few countries where rugby league is more popular, followed by his coaching journey that took him from being one of the first professional team coaches in the sport to running national teams in 3 countries. There were plenty of lessons he learned along the way which enabled him to adapt to the different environments and the changing times he encountered with each coaching job.
January 8, 2021
If you think that Eddie Jones is a total prick and that England deserve to loose every game of rugby that they play then you really do not want to read this book.
However if you think that sport and rugby in particular has a lot to teach us all about how to live and how to get the best out of ourselves then I cannot recommend this book enough.
But, the people who I think should read this book, above all others, are those who are only casual/international/Six Nations/Rugby World Cup fans. If you only really pay attention to rugby when it's Wales-v-England in the Six Nations or the world cup rolls round then you really, really, need to read this book. Eddie Jones can teach you so much about where rugby came from, what it really means and where it is heading.
However if you think that sport and rugby in particular has a lot to teach us all about how to live and how to get the best out of ourselves then I cannot recommend this book enough.
But, the people who I think should read this book, above all others, are those who are only casual/international/Six Nations/Rugby World Cup fans. If you only really pay attention to rugby when it's Wales-v-England in the Six Nations or the world cup rolls round then you really, really, need to read this book. Eddie Jones can teach you so much about where rugby came from, what it really means and where it is heading.
April 14, 2022
Eddie Jones's disciplined Japanese mother, Fled to Australia after being interned in a WW2 American prison camp, Where she married a straight talking outspoken Aussie.
Their son was a determined Rugby player and school vice-principal, Until the professional Rugby Union era gave him the opportunity to coach fulltime, In the Rugby backwater of his mothers homeland.
25yrs and 3 World cup final appearance's later (with Australia, South Africa and England ) Eddie is still striving and laser focused on achieving the ultimate the pinnacle. A World cup final win as Head coach of a Tier one nation. He knows 2023 in France could be his final throw of the dice.
Their son was a determined Rugby player and school vice-principal, Until the professional Rugby Union era gave him the opportunity to coach fulltime, In the Rugby backwater of his mothers homeland.
25yrs and 3 World cup final appearance's later (with Australia, South Africa and England ) Eddie is still striving and laser focused on achieving the ultimate the pinnacle. A World cup final win as Head coach of a Tier one nation. He knows 2023 in France could be his final throw of the dice.
April 14, 2020
As a rugby fan this was like a fascinating long chat with a legend. Eddie Jones has been part of some of the pivotal games of rugby throughout my life. The writing was chatty and informative and I learnt a huge amount about coaching at such a high level. As an Australian expat I relate to Eddie’s observations on the styles and methods of the great rugby countries, now being torn between being a Wallabies or Springbok supporter. Never an English fan so kudos to Eddie for sticking with it, although never Manly I assume. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Eddie and I remain a fan.
May 25, 2021
Great book but obviously would have been so much better if England had managed to win the 2019 World Cup. Jones say's England WC record is poor but they have reached 4 finals to while it was a great turn around from 2015 to 2019, they still lost in quite an abject fashion in the final. Jones career, bookended by 2 WC Final defeats (the 1st ironically at the hands of England) seems just short of the pinnacle. Interesting insights on Rugby though and I hadn't (for example) realised how under represented First Nation Peoples are in Australian Rugby Union.
March 27, 2020
Not a huge rugby fan, so some of the detailed play-by-play accounts sent me slightly cross-eyed. But it's a fascinating insight into what it takes to be a world-leading professional: huge work ethic, of course, but also constant curiosity and the perpetual need to learn and develop. Most interesting is the way that this becomes a shared philosophy; it doesn't work unless the whole team are engaged in the same way. Impressive.
February 20, 2021
Fascinating insight into a much travelled coach
Eddie Jones has had a very successful career including reaching the 2019 world Cup final and beating South Africa in the upset of RWC2015. He gives a detailed analysis of his career and the teams and players he coached. Needless to say he gives an honest appraisal of his own successes and failures which makes this an enjoyable and inciteful read.
Eddie Jones has had a very successful career including reaching the 2019 world Cup final and beating South Africa in the upset of RWC2015. He gives a detailed analysis of his career and the teams and players he coached. Needless to say he gives an honest appraisal of his own successes and failures which makes this an enjoyable and inciteful read.
May 31, 2022
As a child I grew up in a rugby mad family and I remember many of the events described in this book with fondness and heartache. It’s interesting to hear it from another prospective, for example the famous V shape when facing New Zealand in the World Cup semi-final.
There were lots of things about Eddie Jones that were new to me which added to the enjoyment of this book.
I liked Eddie before I read this and now I have even more respect for him.
There were lots of things about Eddie Jones that were new to me which added to the enjoyment of this book.
I liked Eddie before I read this and now I have even more respect for him.
January 13, 2023
I do like a good autobiography and thought this would make for an interesting “listening”
While I have finished there we’re times when I thought I can’t carry on listening to this.. there’s too many other books to listen to or read but I carried on.
This is definitely a book for someone who is a massive rugby union fan.. there’s are touches of Eddie’s personal life but it’s more the rugby you hear about in this book.
While I have finished there we’re times when I thought I can’t carry on listening to this.. there’s too many other books to listen to or read but I carried on.
This is definitely a book for someone who is a massive rugby union fan.. there’s are touches of Eddie’s personal life but it’s more the rugby you hear about in this book.
February 3, 2024
A very enjoyable autobiography. Eddie Jones came across friendly , determined and with the utmost love for rugby .
I recognised so many names from over the years as well rugby matches described , i have never forgotten that New Zealand Haka moment with England RFC - such power displayed by both teams .
Very proud to read about local man Luke Cowan-Dickie too in this autobiography- a great rugby player from Cornwall .
I recognised so many names from over the years as well rugby matches described , i have never forgotten that New Zealand Haka moment with England RFC - such power displayed by both teams .
Very proud to read about local man Luke Cowan-Dickie too in this autobiography- a great rugby player from Cornwall .
December 9, 2019
Before taking on the England job, Eddie Jones has always seemed to achieve so much with so little in both his playing and coaching career. This book provides a fascinating insight into his life and times. This book was released so soon after the recent World Cup that not much could be gained from that campaign.
January 27, 2020
Fantastic insight into Rugby management and the mind of Eddie Jones.
This was better than many biographies I have read and this was because Eddie has had a varied career and Eddie put in stories, insights and observations.
I enjoyed reading about how Eddie tried to improve the team and challenging the coaches and players.
Bonus few chapters about the 2019 world cup
This was better than many biographies I have read and this was because Eddie has had a varied career and Eddie put in stories, insights and observations.
I enjoyed reading about how Eddie tried to improve the team and challenging the coaches and players.
Bonus few chapters about the 2019 world cup
February 18, 2020
Thoroughly enjoyed this amazing insight into the world of rugby. Being a fan, I can recall most of the England games Eddie plays out in his book and I was at Twickenham for the Calcutta Cup in 2019. It is interesting to learn about the preparation before and the aftermath of these games, I think I love rugby even more now! Eddie mate, you are a legend!
March 28, 2020
Eddie Jones at his best. The book offers an insight into one of the worlds best coaches. You feel the ups and downs of his life, the racism of his youth to losing the world cup final with Australia in 2007.
You feel the real Eddie who is very critical and always wanting to improve. I would recommend this book if you are wanting to take your mind of serious things
You feel the real Eddie who is very critical and always wanting to improve. I would recommend this book if you are wanting to take your mind of serious things
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews