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Campese questions Jones' role
04/08/2007
Sportal.co.nz
http://www.nzrugby.com/index.cfm?lay...wsArticle=6497
Australia legend David Campese has questioned South Africa coach Jake White's move to employ former Wallabies boss Eddie Jones as tactical advisor for the World Cup.
Campese, who lives in South Africa and works as a commentator as well as acting as a technical coach for Super 14 team the Sharks, believes trying to seriously change the way the Boks played the game was foolhardy so close to the start of September's World Cup.
"White does seem to be playing with fire by seeking out all these so-called coaching gurus to assist the Boks cause," Campese wrote in his weekly column for Sydney Daily Telegraph.
"Sir Clive Woodward has been mentioned as another potential consultant and Jones is being mentioned as a technical director for the entire tournament.
"On one hand you can understand Jake wanting to tap every resource possible in a bid to bring the Webb Ellis trophy back to South Africa."
However, Campese believes that the ploy could backfire.
"But there is a danger attached with having too many voices," he said. "Players can get mixed messages. Even worse, they can become confused about their respective roles in the side when trying to download information from so many figures of authority."
Campese also labelled the move to use Jones as some sort of 'joke' and questioned the former Wallabies coach's credentials after losing the World Cup to England and enduring a lean streak in charge of the national side.
"What does White perceive to be so appealing about the strategies Jones employs?" asked Campese.
"After all, the Wallabies lost eight of their last nine games before he was sacked as coach at the end of 2005, and his Queensland team finished last in this year's Super 14.
"I hardly think those statistics make Jones a must-have addition to your staff.
"For Jake to suggest Eddie has this ability to give them a cutting edge they might have previously lacked smacks of desperation.
"All this talk about him showing the South African backline new running lines and how to utilise decoy runners is surely some sort of pre-tournament joke."