Eddie Jones blames public schools for building 'compliant' rugby players

[wixfjord]

Jones getting a lot of heat for this, but if you read beyond the headline, I think he has a point.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union ... die-jones/
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/jones-bl ... y-players/

Why is it relevant to us?

It's not too far away from some points Stuart Lancaster & James Lowe have said about the Leinster setup and it's certainly something that I think LR are trying to address.

They work hard but they only know what they know. If you have only been in a system where you get to 15, you have a bit of rugby ability and then go to Harrow. Then for two years you do nothing but play rugby, everything’s done for you. That’s the reality. You have this closeted life.

“When things go to cr@p on the field, who's going to lead because these blokes have never had experience of it? I see that as a big thing.

The private schools (and a handful in particular) are incredible, world class providers and nurturers of talent.

There's also a huge 'cohesion' benefit to guys having played with each other the whole way up.

But (according to Lancaster), they do tend to breed a certain type of personality.

We need diversity of background and experience to build a winning team and a little bit of edge that comes from having had to earn things a different, often harder way.

The SOBs, Furlongs and indeed the imports like Nacewa, Lowe etc are so vital to making sure our culture isn't too homogenised and there's a little bit more edge to the side.

[Flash Gordon]

So we definitely need diversity of background, the more diverse and the wider the net the better for Irish rugby. I don't buy the private schools can't produce leaders.

From a rugby perspective if you look at players who have captained Ireland in the last 10 years Leo Cullen, Jamie Heaslip, Peter O’Mahony, Eoin Reddan, Sean O’Brien, Rhys Ruddock, Jonathan Sexton, James Ryan - all but Reddan and O'Brien went to fee paying schools.

This notion of a unified personality is also not correct in my view. Brian O'Driscoll and Leo Cullen went to the same school, Gordon Darcy and Rob Kearney went to the same school or if if you looks at a place like Newbridge, Mick Quinn, Jamie Heaslip, Mick Doyle, Geordie Murphy - all very different personalities.

We absolutely need to cast the net wider of course but the reality is that in Leinster's history the supply of players from fee paying schools has been significant and that has had no effect on success with Leinster being one of the of the most successful club sides in the world. Of course we weren't in the 2000's but Michael Cheika came in an instilled a culture of toughness, the intervention was Checks and in England's case, they are where they are because of Jones and it sounds to me like he's making excuses for his own shortcomings.

[wixfjord]

So we definitely need diversity of background, the more diverse and the wider the net the better for Irish rugby. I don't buy the private schools can't produce leaders.

From a rugby perspective if you look at players who have captained Ireland in the last 10 years Leo Cullen, Jamie Heaslip, Peter O’Mahony, Eoin Reddan, Sean O’Brien, Rhys Ruddock, Jonathan Sexton, James Ryan - all but Reddan and O'Brien went to fee paying schools.

This notion of a unified personality is also not correct in my view. Brian O'Driscoll and Leo Cullen went to the same school, Gordon Darcy and Rob Kearney went to the same school or if if you looks at a place like Newbridge, Mick Quinn, Jamie Heaslip, Mick Doyle, Geordie Murphy - all very different personalities.

We absolutely need to cast the net wider of course but the reality is that in Leinster's history the supply of players from fee paying schools has been significant and that has had no effect on success with Leinster being one of the of the most successful club sides in the world. Of course we weren't in the 2000's but Michael Cheika came in an instilled a culture of toughness, the intervention was Checks and in England's case, they are where they are because of Jones and it sounds to me like he's making excuses for his own shortcomings.

How do you react to Lancaster saying pretty much the same thing though?

He has talked on quite a few podcasts about guys like Ryan & Ringrose being model professionals but also needing to be prompted to come out of their shell a bit.

I don't ascribe to the idea that 'private schools don't create leaders' either. Clearly it would be foolish to say 'everyone from a certain background is X or Y'.

But I do think there tends to be a different personality that comes from the club game and from outside the country.

Ever read SOB's book? There's some great passages about what he needed to do to make it, which someone living >10 miles from the RDS in their own home and attending a private school wouldn't perhaps realise.

That has to create strong, robust characters.

And we need more of that diversity and that edge if we're to continue to be successful.

[the spoofer]

Lancaster was full of praise for the Leinster and Irish system on the BBC podcast, so much so that he advised the English RFU to consider its benefits. Leinster are making efforts to identify non schools players. I think there is room for improvement and do think there is a bias towards schools lads but it has developed hugely in my time coaching youths.

[Flash Gordon]

So we definitely need diversity of background, the more diverse and the wider the net the better for Irish rugby. I don't buy the private schools can't produce leaders.

From a rugby perspective if you look at players who have captained Ireland in the last 10 years Leo Cullen, Jamie Heaslip, Peter O’Mahony, Eoin Reddan, Sean O’Brien, Rhys Ruddock, Jonathan Sexton, James Ryan - all but Reddan and O'Brien went to fee paying schools.

This notion of a unified personality is also not correct in my view. Brian O'Driscoll and Leo Cullen went to the same school, Gordon Darcy and Rob Kearney went to the same school or if if you looks at a place like Newbridge, Mick Quinn, Jamie Heaslip, Mick Doyle, Geordie Murphy - all very different personalities.

We absolutely need to cast the net wider of course but the reality is that in Leinster's history the supply of players from fee paying schools has been significant and that has had no effect on success with Leinster being one of the of the most successful club sides in the world. Of course we weren't in the 2000's but Michael Cheika came in an instilled a culture of toughness, the intervention was Checks and in England's case, they are where they are because of Jones and it sounds to me like he's making excuses for his own shortcomings.

How do you react to Lancaster saying pretty much the same thing though?

He has talked on quite a few podcasts about guys like Ryan & Ringrose being model professionals but also needing to be prompted to come out of their shell a bit.

I don't ascribe to the idea that 'private schools don't create leaders' either. Clearly it would be foolish to say 'everyone from a certain background is X or Y'.

But I do think there tends to be a different personality that comes from the club game and from outside the country.

Ever read SOB's book? There's some great passages about what he needed to do to make it, which someone living >10 miles from the RDS in their own home and attending a private school wouldn't perhaps realise.

That has to create strong, robust characters.

And we need more of that diversity and that edge if we're to continue to be successful.

Seanie came through a very different system than we have now. He first played for Leinster in 2008 and came through the system in the 2000's where we have a genuine culture issue.

Today, Leinster are investing across the province at all levels in terms of facilities, support and coaching and the game is growing in non-traditional areas geographically and in terms of gender. Accept that coming from Tullow he had to travel further but the same would be true of the example I used - or even more so with somewhere like Roscrea.

Ringrose is personality in my opinion, exactly the same is true of Henshaw who went to Marist in Athlone. Not sure on Ryan, he's captained Ireland and Leinster so not sure I see a leadership issue there - obviously there is room for improvement for everyone and he's still only 26. I do know that one of the reasons Lancaster loves being with Leinster is the system we have for player development - he went to a private school too by the way and he's one of Leinster's greatest leaders. Like I said, we absolutely need to be diverse I just think Jones's comments are excuses. He claims that the public school system in England results in a lack of individuality and flair, that's not a result of schooling, that's the result of coaching.

[Dave Cahill]

The problem is that there is an element of hazard in relying on fee-paying schools so heavily. If €85-100m per annum were taken out of the voluntary secondary sector budgets it would make a big difference to how much they were investing in their rugby programmes, and politically and legally that amount of state underwriting of what are in reality private enterprises is not going to be sustainable in, at most, the medium term.

[wixfjord]

So we definitely need diversity of background, the more diverse and the wider the net the better for Irish rugby. I don't buy the private schools can't produce leaders.

From a rugby perspective if you look at players who have captained Ireland in the last 10 years Leo Cullen, Jamie Heaslip, Peter O’Mahony, Eoin Reddan, Sean O’Brien, Rhys Ruddock, Jonathan Sexton, James Ryan - all but Reddan and O'Brien went to fee paying schools.

This notion of a unified personality is also not correct in my view. Brian O'Driscoll and Leo Cullen went to the same school, Gordon Darcy and Rob Kearney went to the same school or if if you looks at a place like Newbridge, Mick Quinn, Jamie Heaslip, Mick Doyle, Geordie Murphy - all very different personalities.

We absolutely need to cast the net wider of course but the reality is that in Leinster's history the supply of players from fee paying schools has been significant and that has had no effect on success with Leinster being one of the of the most successful club sides in the world. Of course we weren't in the 2000's but Michael Cheika came in an instilled a culture of toughness, the intervention was Checks and in England's case, they are where they are because of Jones and it sounds to me like he's making excuses for his own shortcomings.

How do you react to Lancaster saying pretty much the same thing though?

He has talked on quite a few podcasts about guys like Ryan & Ringrose being model professionals but also needing to be prompted to come out of their shell a bit.

I don't ascribe to the idea that 'private schools don't create leaders' either. Clearly it would be foolish to say 'everyone from a certain background is X or Y'.

But I do think there tends to be a different personality that comes from the club game and from outside the country.

Ever read SOB's book? There's some great passages about what he needed to do to make it, which someone living >10 miles from the RDS in their own home and attending a private school wouldn't perhaps realise.

That has to create strong, robust characters.

And we need more of that diversity and that edge if we're to continue to be successful.

Seanie came through a very different system than we have now. He first played for Leinster in 2008 and came through the system in the 2000's where we have a genuine culture issue.

Today, Leinster are investing across the province at all levels in terms of facilities, support and coaching and the game is growing in non-traditional areas geographically and in terms of gender. Accept that coming from Tullow he had to travel further but the same would be true of the example I used - or even more so with somewhere like Roscrea.

Ringrose is personality in my opinion, exactly the same is true of Henshaw who went to Marist in Athlone. Not sure on Ryan, he's captained Ireland and Leinster so not sure I see a leadership issue there - obviously there is room for improvement for everyone and he's still only 26. I do know that one of the reasons Lancaster loves being with Leinster is the system we have for player development - he went to a private school too by the way and he's one of Leinster's greatest leaders. Like I said, we absolutely need to be diverse I just think Jones's comments are excuses. He claims that the public school system in England results in a lack of individuality and flair, that's not a result of schooling, that's the result of coaching.

It might've been a different system, but you've still the same issue (if not more so) of guys who are outside Dublin and maybe don't have the family support to rent close to Donnybrook finding it harder to be part of the academy.

That's an issue I'd like to see us solve with bursaries/housing etc (if that's not being done already).

[Flash Gordon]

The problem is that there is an element of hazard in relying on fee-paying schools so heavily. If €85-100m per annum were taken out of the voluntary secondary sector budgets it would make a big difference to how much they were investing in their rugby programmes, and politically and legally that amount of state underwriting of what are in reality private enterprises is not going to be sustainable in, at most, the medium term.

That's a good point for sure, I'm not sure the funding would survive a Sinn Fein government. Private schools are a unique blend of public and private funding and the academic and sporting standards are higher as a result. Rather than trying to break a system that's working I'd prefer to see that replicated but that's a political point.....

I think the point on vulnerability is a more general one too. There are a limited number of schools that disproportionally supply players which is a further layer of vulnerability. What if, say, Michael's got a new head who wasn't a rugby fan and pulled money from the programme? Or if Blackrock got sued for a massive sum because a pupil sustained a serious injury playing rugby.

So more diversity, broader net for sure - aside from performance reasons it's just the right thing for a club rooted in the 12 counties to do.

[dropkick]

Isn't there regional talent centers planned and/or opened?

[Oldschoolsocks]

The problem is that there is an element of hazard in relying on fee-paying schools so heavily. If €85-100m per annum were taken out of the voluntary secondary sector budgets it would make a big difference to how much they were investing in their rugby programmes, and politically and legally that amount of state underwriting of what are in reality private enterprises is not going to be sustainable in, at most, the medium term.

So i may be wrong here, but i believe every child up to the age of 18 is entitled to a state sponsored education. The fact that some schools charge additional fees is outside of the funding provided by the state.

Unless the state is going to replace all of the voluntary school sector I just don’t see how they could renege on their commitments here from a legal, moral or political standpoint.

[riocard911]

The problem is that there is an element of hazard in relying on fee-paying schools so heavily. If €85-100m per annum were taken out of the voluntary secondary sector budgets it would make a big difference to how much they were investing in their rugby programmes, and politically and legally that amount of state underwriting of what are in reality private enterprises is not going to be sustainable in, at most, the medium term.

Have to agree. Said "element of hazard" exists and it would be foolish to ignore it . That said, having had the privilege of attending a few paying school, I actually would prefer, if all children in Ireland were "cherished equally" and provided with the best education, sports facilities etc. possible.

[ronk]

The problem is that there is an element of hazard in relying on fee-paying schools so heavily. If €85-100m per annum were taken out of the voluntary secondary sector budgets it would make a big difference to how much they were investing in their rugby programmes, and politically and legally that amount of state underwriting of what are in reality private enterprises is not going to be sustainable in, at most, the medium term.

That's a good point for sure, I'm not sure the funding would survive a Sinn Fein government. Private schools are a unique blend of public and private funding and the academic and sporting standards are higher as a result. Rather than trying to break a system that's working I'd prefer to see that replicated but that's a political point.....

I think the point on vulnerability is a more general one too. There are a limited number of schools that disproportionally supply players which is a further layer of vulnerability. What if, say, Michael's got a new head who wasn't a rugby fan and pulled money from the programme? Or if Blackrock got sued for a massive sum because a pupil sustained a serious injury playing rugby.

So more diversity, broader net for sure - aside from performance reasons it's just the right thing for a club rooted in the 12 counties to do.

Rugby is critical to the identity of some of those schools. Do they continue to attract students if they lose their rugby reputation? Do they still get access to the chequebooks of wealthy past pupils and parent? They could more easily be public schools with voluntary funding and great rugby programs than fully self funded private schools.

Shinners talk, but they'd be making powerful enemies over a drop in the ocean that would cost the government more if the schools went public. Parents are single issue voters, which is why so many politicians have been good at securing funding for local schools. Rhetoric is one thing, hard change against entrenched opposition is another.

Players who've come through years of elite training are coachable, used to work ethic and high level training.

But they might be inflexible, they may be used to success and adulation, they may not have the same motivations, their lack of diversity may affect their collaboration.

[Flash Gordon]

The problem is that there is an element of hazard in relying on fee-paying schools so heavily. If €85-100m per annum were taken out of the voluntary secondary sector budgets it would make a big difference to how much they were investing in their rugby programmes, and politically and legally that amount of state underwriting of what are in reality private enterprises is not going to be sustainable in, at most, the medium term.

That's a good point for sure, I'm not sure the funding would survive a Sinn Fein government. Private schools are a unique blend of public and private funding and the academic and sporting standards are higher as a result. Rather than trying to break a system that's working I'd prefer to see that replicated but that's a political point.....

I think the point on vulnerability is a more general one too. There are a limited number of schools that disproportionally supply players which is a further layer of vulnerability. What if, say, Michael's got a new head who wasn't a rugby fan and pulled money from the programme? Or if Blackrock got sued for a massive sum because a pupil sustained a serious injury playing rugby.

So more diversity, broader net for sure - aside from performance reasons it's just the right thing for a club rooted in the 12 counties to do.

Rugby is critical to the identity of some of those schools. Do they continue to attract students if they lose their rugby reputation? Do they still get access to the chequebooks of wealthy past pupils and parent? They could more easily be public schools with voluntary funding and great rugby programs than fully self funded private schools.

Shinners talk, but they'd be making powerful enemies over a drop in the ocean that would cost the government more if the schools went public. Parents are single issue voters, which is why so many politicians have been good at securing funding for local schools. Rhetoric is one thing, hard change against entrenched opposition is another.

Players who've come through years of elite training are coachable, used to work ethic and high level training.

But they might be inflexible, they may be used to success and adulation, they may not have the same motivations, their lack of diversity may affect their collaboration.

I'm guessing not too many parents of private school kids vote Sinn Fein. Think it's one of those populist policies that will do nothing for the general population. Don't disagree with you on tapping into private funding because of rugby being played but it does happen that new head makes new rules and builds a new culture. Michael's is a Leinster powerhouse now but historically people joked that it was a Blackrock feeder school, the difference was the head coming in and building rugby. I know another Dublin school with 2 Leinster starters as recent grads who have pulled funding from rugby due to a new headmaster coming in.

I'm not sure kids live in the bubble you describe. Many play other sports growing up - soccer and GAA for example. AS I said, I think the culture of the club is driven by the coaching team. The culture at Leinster under Matt Williams or Gary Ella was completely different to the one Checks built and that in turn was very different to the culture that Joe and Leo built.

[berliner]

Isn't there regional talent centers planned and/or opened?

Five were announced in the original plan. The first opened opened in 2019 in Donnybrook. I believe the second opened on the IT Carlow/SETU campus this year, but am not 100% sure on that.

[berliner]

The problem is that there is an element of hazard in relying on fee-paying schools so heavily. If €85-100m per annum were taken out of the voluntary secondary sector budgets it would make a big difference to how much they were investing in their rugby programmes, and politically and legally that amount of state underwriting of what are in reality private enterprises is not going to be sustainable in, at most, the medium term.

That's a good point for sure, I'm not sure the funding would survive a Sinn Fein government. Private schools are a unique blend of public and private funding and the academic and sporting standards are higher as a result. Rather than trying to break a system that's working I'd prefer to see that replicated but that's a political point.....

I think the point on vulnerability is a more general one too. There are a limited number of schools that disproportionally supply players which is a further layer of vulnerability. What if, say, Michael's got a new head who wasn't a rugby fan and pulled money from the programme? Or if Blackrock got sued for a massive sum because a pupil sustained a serious injury playing rugby.

So more diversity, broader net for sure - aside from performance reasons it's just the right thing for a club rooted in the 12 counties to do.

Rugby is critical to the identity of some of those schools. Do they continue to attract students if they lose their rugby reputation? Do they still get access to the chequebooks of wealthy past pupils and parent? They could more easily be public schools with voluntary funding and great rugby programs than fully self funded private schools.

Shinners talk, but they'd be making powerful enemies over a drop in the ocean that would cost the government more if the schools went public. Parents are single issue voters, which is why so many politicians have been good at securing funding for local schools. Rhetoric is one thing, hard change against entrenched opposition is another.

Players who've come through years of elite training are coachable, used to work ethic and high level training.

But they might be inflexible, they may be used to success and adulation, they may not have the same motivations, their lack of diversity may affect their collaboration.

Apologies in advance for a post which swerves off topic.

When SF form a government, and they will whether it's after the next election or the following one, they will face a situation where they have multiple major policy changes they want to implement. The mechanics of government will make it impossible for them all to be achieved, or even properly attempted. Number one target will be housing, a massive undertaking but doable (albeit not in one electoral cycle) and then the health service (probably a lot harder). School funding reform will be well down the list of priorities, IMHO.

But regardless of the private/public school debate, Leinster should still be looking to diversify further (because progress is being made) in terms of players - this is a two million person catchment area. To caricature the situation, when will get a Genge? This should be an objective.

(Genge grew up on a council estate, but may have been to a private school in the latter part of his education, but you know what I mean).

[ronk]

I'm guessing not too many parents of private school kids vote Sinn Fein. Think it's one of those populist policies that will do nothing for the general population. Don't disagree with you on tapping into private funding because of rugby being played but it does happen that new head makes new rules and builds a new culture. Michael's is a Leinster powerhouse now but historically people joked that it was a Blackrock feeder school, the difference was the head coming in and building rugby. I know another Dublin school with 2 Leinster starters as recent grads who have pulled funding from rugby due to a new headmaster coming in.

I'm not sure kids live in the bubble you describe. Many play other sports growing up - soccer and GAA for example. AS I said, I think the culture of the club is driven by the coaching team. The culture at Leinster under Matt Williams or Gary Ella was completely different to the one Checks built and that in turn was very different to the culture that Joe and Leo built.

I think we agree that SF aren't realistically a major threat to rugby schools. Plenty of schools have taken different approaches to public-private. Loreto Dalkey is public primary and private secondary. Cheaper for parents. Newtown in Waterford became public but kept boarders.

The risk to elite programs in Dublin schools comes more to other schools quietly falling behind more than Michaels and Rock. There's probably more potential there than in provincial centres of excellence, in the short-medium term anyway.

Teaching/coaching for schools is one of the better rugby related post rugby careers.

[Ruckedtobits]

That's a good point for sure, I'm not sure the funding would survive a Sinn Fein government. Private schools are a unique blend of public and private funding and the academic and sporting standards are higher as a result. Rather than trying to break a system that's working I'd prefer to see that replicated but that's a political point.....

I think the point on vulnerability is a more general one too. There are a limited number of schools that disproportionally supply players which is a further layer of vulnerability. What if, say, Michael's got a new head who wasn't a rugby fan and pulled money from the programme? Or if Blackrock got sued for a massive sum because a pupil sustained a serious injury playing rugby.

So more diversity, broader net for sure - aside from performance reasons it's just the right thing for a club rooted in the 12 counties to do.

Rugby is critical to the identity of some of those schools. Do they continue to attract students if they lose their rugby reputation? Do they still get access to the chequebooks of wealthy past pupils and parent? They could more easily be public schools with voluntary funding and great rugby programs than fully self funded private schools.

Shinners talk, but they'd be making powerful enemies over a drop in the ocean that would cost the government more if the schools went public. Parents are single issue voters, which is why so many politicians have been good at securing funding for local schools. Rhetoric is one thing, hard change against entrenched opposition is another.

Players who've come through years of elite training are coachable, used to work ethic and high level training.

But they might be inflexible, they may be used to success and adulation, they may not have the same motivations, their lack of diversity may affect their collaboration.

Apologies in advance for a post which swerves off topic.

When SF form a government, and they will whether it's after the next election or the following one, they will face a situation where they have multiple major policy changes they want to implement. The mechanics of government will make it impossible for them all to be achieved, or even properly attempted. Number one target will be housing, a massive undertaking but doable (albeit not in one electoral cycle) and then the health service (probably a lot harder). School funding reform will be well down the list of priorities, IMHO.

But regardless of the private/public school debate, Leinster should still be looking to diversify further (because progress is being made) in terms of players - this is a two million person catchment area. To caricature the situation, when will get a Genge? This should be an objective.

(Genge grew up on a council estate, but may have been to a private school in the latter part of his education, but you know what I mean).

We've had "Genge's before and we'll have them again. So have Munster. They' generally come through Club system, even if they play rugby in school, primarily because their social / family background doesn't envisage or facilitate an elite sporting development path, with possible exception of soccer or boxing. Rugby doesn't need to specifically go out and look for such players, but we could highlight that we have a game for all shapes, sizes and every sports skill, including being competitive & tough.

[Flash Gordon]

Rugby is critical to the identity of some of those schools. Do they continue to attract students if they lose their rugby reputation? Do they still get access to the chequebooks of wealthy past pupils and parent? They could more easily be public schools with voluntary funding and great rugby programs than fully self funded private schools.

Shinners talk, but they'd be making powerful enemies over a drop in the ocean that would cost the government more if the schools went public. Parents are single issue voters, which is why so many politicians have been good at securing funding for local schools. Rhetoric is one thing, hard change against entrenched opposition is another.

Players who've come through years of elite training are coachable, used to work ethic and high level training.

But they might be inflexible, they may be used to success and adulation, they may not have the same motivations, their lack of diversity may affect their collaboration.

Apologies in advance for a post which swerves off topic.

When SF form a government, and they will whether it's after the next election or the following one, they will face a situation where they have multiple major policy changes they want to implement. The mechanics of government will make it impossible for them all to be achieved, or even properly attempted. Number one target will be housing, a massive undertaking but doable (albeit not in one electoral cycle) and then the health service (probably a lot harder). School funding reform will be well down the list of priorities, IMHO.

But regardless of the private/public school debate, Leinster should still be looking to diversify further (because progress is being made) in terms of players - this is a two million person catchment area. To caricature the situation, when will get a Genge? This should be an objective.

(Genge grew up on a council estate, but may have been to a private school in the latter part of his education, but you know what I mean).

We've had "Genge's before and we'll have them again. So have Munster. They' generally come through Club system, even if they play rugby in school, primarily because their social / family background doesn't envisage or facilitate an elite sporting development path, with possible exception of soccer or boxing. Rugby doesn't need to specifically go out and look for such players, but we could highlight that we have a game for all shapes, sizes and every sports skill, including being competitive & tough.

Honestly, I think this idea that it's impossible to be a hard nosed b$&%@#d unless you went to a comprehensive school in a tough estate is just not true. We can start with the lad in my profile picture who was one of the toughest and dirtiest players I ever saw and he went to Blackrock - he played with Slattery who was also a mean b$&%@#d.

We have players in our squad who are hard as nails. Furlong, Porter, Josh, Henshaw, Keenan, Sheehan, Kellheher, Ruddock etc they just aren't obnoxious gobby and abusive like some of the England players and their head coach. That's because Leinster have humility and respect as core values.

Again, i think we are all saying (and Leinster say this too) that we need to recruit from a broad base, there's been masses of progress and there's till more to be done.

[Ruckedtobits]

Willie Duggan, Philip Matthews, Willie Anderson, Paddy Johns, Des Fitzgerald, Dan Leavy, Jamie Heaslip, Peter Clohessy, Anthony Foley, Stephen Ferris, Kevin Maggs, Bundee Aki is a very brief list of relatively recent Irish players who didn't need a particular social background to be tough as nails.

Backgrounds right across the spectrum; focus always on winning the next event / confrontation

[Flash Gordon]

RFU weren't too happy about Eddie's comments it would seem!:


We are always working to broaden the appeal and accessibility of rugby union'
Sure enough, after fielding several dozen harrumphing calls, messages and emails, no doubt, Bill Sweeney was out like a shot to let Eddie Jones know his comments were just not cricket.

In a RFU statement released to the media, today, it was confirmed that Sweeney had spoken with Jones, on Sunday, and 'confirmed the RFU position on the valued role the independent sector plays in the player pathway'. The statement continued:

"The RFU is hugely appreciative and supportive of the role both the independent and state school sectors play in introducing boys and girls to our sport and in our player pathway. A collaborative approach and strong partnerships within the education sector ensure players are supported and offered opportunities to develop at all schools.

"The most recent England men’s squad contained players who have benefited from time within independent schools, including Maro Itoje and Henry Arundell, as well as many from the state sector including, Jonny Hill and Courtney Lawes.

"As a union, we are always working to broaden the appeal and accessibility of rugby union to boys and girls from a wide range of backgrounds."