"Go to the temple and pray": Jones gives ominous warning to Japan

England head coach Eddie Jones has advised Japan to go to the temple and pray as he promised to show no mercy when England face off against the team he coached at the 2015 World Cup.

England will head into this weekend’s clash following an agonising 16-15 loss to the All Blacks at Twickenham on Saturday.

Jones knows how much Japan would love to cause another shock on English soil having guided them to a stunning 34-32 win over South Africa in Brighton during the last World Cup — a result now widely regarded as the biggest upset in rugby union history.

Japan captain and flanker Michael Leitch was quoted as saying recently “we’ve been bullied a lot by Eddie and would like to give it back by beating England as a sign of gratitude”.

Jones has since responded with a stark warning for his former side.

“Pray, pray, pray. Go to the temple and pray. Just pray, it’s the best thing,” he said. “We’re going to be absolutely ruthless. If I was Japan I’d be worried. I know they’re going to come full of confidence. I’ve heard some of the things they’ve said, they’ve been a bit cheeky, so look out.”

Jones, asked how England would prepare for Japan he replied: “Sushi and sake!”

But he was in more serious mood when asked about resting players from the match against the Brave Blossoms.

“It’s not logical. That’s illogical. How am I going to train them? I’ve got three days to train them. It’s a good test for us to see how cohesive we can get in a short period of time, which mimics the World Cup.”

 “Japan are the highest-kicking team in the world, they’ve got a really good defence system and they’ve got some good young players coming through.”

“We’re taking it seriously and that’s why we have to be absolutely ruthless about the game,” he said. “If you want to come out and watch a Barbarians game, don’t come out, stay home.” 

Story via: The42.ie