Mind games.

England head coach Eddie Jones has had yet another pop at Ireland outhalf Johnny Sexton ahead of next month’s hugely anticipated Six Nations opener at the Aviva Stadium.

The Australian hasn’t been afraid to have a go at Sexton in the past, infamously saying his parents should be “worried” about Sexton’s injury record, before later apologising.

And more recently he had another go at Sexton when asked about a late hit on Owen Farrell.

“If he was Johnny Sexton, then we’d be able to complain about him, but because he’s Owen Farrell he’s allowed to be hit late,” said Jones via the Daily Mail

And now with England and Ireland’s huge Six Nations opener just two weeks away – Jones has compared Sexton to Richie McCaw in terms of his ability to influence referees.

“Sexton has the bat phone to the referee. When he talks, the referee listens,” Jones told the BBC.

“That is because of his status in the game – you earn that, like Richie McCaw did.”