By Sean Miyaguchi,
Japan head coach Eddie Jones on Monday outlined a vision of "super-fast rugby" that he believes can turn the Brave Blossoms into one of the world's top teams.
The 63-year-old Australian touched on concepts as wide-ranging as Newtonian physics and artificial intelligence as he unveiled his plan for upending the global rugby order.
He said Japanese players would always be smaller on average than opponents from the traditional powerhouse nations, necessitating a playing style emphasizing rapid movement and decision-making.
"We want it to be a core identity of Japanese rugby," Jones said during an impassioned hour-long press conference in Tokyo.
"So (when) you play against South Africa, you know it's going to be physical. (When) you play against New Zealand, they're the best counterattacking team in the world. So we want to develop Japan into the best team at playing fast rugby."
He said prospective Brave Blossoms should look to some of the international stars currently based in Japan to see how players with smaller physical statures can excel at the highest level.
"If you just look at (Japan Rugby) League One at the moment, three of the best players in the league, Cheslin Kolbe, Richie Mo'unga, Kwagga Smith -- they're all Japanese size. But they move with a speed and intensity, and make decisions before other players," Jones said.
The former Australia and England tactician took the reins last month from departing Japan coach Jamie Joseph, who steered the Brave Blossoms to a pool-stage exit at last year's Rugby World Cup and to their first-ever quarterfinal berth on home soil in 2019.
"We need to build on what great work Jamie Joseph (and assistants) Tony Brown and Shin Hasegawa have done with the national team," said Jones, whose first tenure as Japan mentor included the historic upset of the Springboks at the 2015 World Cup.
"But we also need to take a different approach," he said, pointing to major generational change in the national team during the current four-year cycle.
The search for new talent encompasses all levels, from schoolboys to League One, with work under way to identify every high schooler with the potential to become an international player.
"I've been looking for players with the things that you can't coach, players who've got that real feel for the game, and then I'm looking for players that want to grow and want to challenge themselves to be better," Jones said.
He cited examples from other sports, including the Japanese women's national basketball team, the NBA's Golden State Warriors and Spain's 2010 World Cup-winning football team, who have succeeded with an emphasis on speed and movement over physical size and strength.
While revealing plans to brainstorm with representatives from other Japanese national teams, he joked that he dreamed about seeing baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani in the red-and-white Brave Blossoms jersey.
"I reckon he'd make a good No. 8," Jones quipped.
Having split on less-than-cheerful terms with England in December 2022 and Australia after the 2023 World Cup, Jones will face one of his former teams when Japan play England in a June 22 test match at Tokyo's National Stadium.
Japan's international calendar also includes home tests against Georgia and Italy in July and New Zealand in October.
Although he stressed the importance of bringing new blood into the national fold, Jones indicated he would prioritize selecting the strongest possible team for the upcoming tests, with two non-cap games against the Maori All Blacks in June and July providing opportunities for emerging players.
The team will nevertheless begin implementing his philosophy of fast-paced rugby right away, which Jones believes will pay dividends in terms of fan engagement.
"The fans want to see a Japanese team that excites the world, and that's the team that we want to create," he said.
"It's a big project, but I firmly believe that if we go about our business and are 100 percent focused on being the fastest rugby team in the world, there's no reason why we can't go to the top of the world."
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Rugby: Jones welcomed back into fold to lead Brave Blossoms again
