This archive report was first published on 22 October 2019.
England coach Eddie Jones has been singing the praises of All Blacks boss Steve Hansen ahead of their World Cup semi-final, citing his impressive record and the respectful culture of rugby.
Jones, who has transformed an England side that suffered an embarrassing first-round exit on home soil at the 2015 World Cup into genuine title contenders, has been contrasting the down-to-earth attitude of rugby players with that of football superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
"To start with, Steve's a good bloke," said Jones. "That's number one. Secondly, he's got a great record. Super Rugby with the Crusaders when we first started coaching against each other, followed by Wales, followed by New Zealand. You don't get a better record than that."
Jones believes it's rugby's culture of "respectful relationships" that sets it apart from other codes, pointing to the example of Canadian and Namibian players cleaning up the ground after their pool match in Kamaishi was cancelled due to Typhoon Hagibis.
"Could you imagine Ronaldo or Messi doing that if Barcelona or Real Madrid gets a wash?" Jones asked.
Hansen was equally complimentary about Jones's work, saying he's done a fantastic job with England and that they've got a harder edge about them now.
"Eddie's been part of a winning World Cup team with South Africa (2007), he's had the disappointment of losing to England when he was coaching Australia (2003) but to get to the final is being successful anyway," Hansen said.
He also praised Jones's passion for the game, saying he loves the game and anyone who loves the game gets his support.
"It's a game of footy, it's not life or death. It's like when you play against your brother or sister. It's important, but it's not life threatening," Hansen added.
