Eddie Jones May Not Like These Johnny Sexton Comments

Johnny Sexton and Eddie Jones don’t exactly get on.

The England boss came under fire for his comments on the playmaker’s well-being last season, and it seems Sexton is firing back with a few of his own this year.

Speaking at the Ireland team announcement on Thursday, Sexton credited current Ireland defence coach Andy Farrell and Leinster assistant Stuart Lancaster with building the current England team.

“They have equalled the All Blacks unbeaten record. That speaks for itself. This team has been together for six years now. They are going for back-to-back Grand Slams.

“Stuart [Lancaster] and Andy [Farrell] built this team after the 2011 World Cup and they’ve stuck together. They have been through ups and downs and they are reaping the rewards of that from last season’s Grand Slam all the way through to now.”

Sexton also responded to Jones’ ‘kick and clap’ comments:

“I have never worked under him so I don’t know what he is like behind the press. It is not Eddie I am trying to please, it is Joe (Schmidt) I am trying to please.

“We have got a pretty clear plan and we always do have a pretty clear plan and we will just keep trying to do that better. That is the key.”

What do you think? Does Jones deserve the credit he gets, or is it just a case of right place, right time as this crop of England players began to peak and reach their potential?