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<\/p>\nFelix Jones will join England\u2019s coaching staff in January <\/p>\n
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Felix Jones wasn\u2019t quite sure what would come next. It was just after one o\u2019clock in the early hours of Sunday morning, and the former Ireland international was concluding his final duties as an assistant coach of South Africa, his stint with the Springboks at an end after the securing of a second successive Rugby World Cup.<\/p>\n
Pressed on his plans after a night of celebration, Jones thought for a moment. \u201cTo be honest, I\u2019m not 100 per cent sure,\u201d the former full-back eventually replied. \u201cI\u2019ll have to ask the team manager. I think there is a little bit of time off now and hopefully I get to go back to South Africa, experience the country again and enjoy a few days there.\u201d<\/p>\n
He has earned a few days to decompress. At 36, Jones is already a two-time World Cup winner. Forced into early retirement due to a neck injury in 2015 having been capped eleven times for his country and captained Munster, he rather fell into coaching, but soon established himself as a shrewd, hard-working asset. Rassie Erasmus lured him from Limerick just before the last World Cup; Jones now has two gold medals to show for his time in South Africa.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt feels a little bit surreal now, I won\u2019t lie,\u201d Jones admitted. \u201cIt\u2019s crazy. I\u2019ve been looked after very well by many people: Axel [Anthony Foley], Jerry Flannery helped me a lot at the beginning and still now to this day. Rassie [Erasmus], Jacques [Nienaber], Joe [Schmidt]. There are many guys who helped me along the way. To be honest, I\u2019ve just been given a leg-up by a lot of people.\u201d<\/p>\n
In January, he will embark on a new journey. Jones has agreed a deal to join Steve Borthwick\u2019s England staff in January, with his exact role yet to be clarified. It may depend on the make-up of a coaching team in flux, with the versatile Jones happy to slot in wherever required. South Africa\u2019s players describe him as a details man rarely away from an analysis tab on his laptop \u2013 he\u2019ll fit in well with Borthwick\u2019s codebreakers.<\/p>\n
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Felix Jones has been a key part of South Africa\u2019s success <\/p>\n
\u201cI think when you look at the English side at the moment, there isn\u2019t a single person who could fault the effort of the players,\u201d Jones explained when asked what had attracted him to the England role. \u201cThat\u2019s probably the most important thing; you can see hard work, you can see a never-say-die attitude.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Steve has probably built the foundation of a squad that is willing to work and build. Clearly, in this World Cup, they\u2019ve built a very strong foundation that they\u2019re ready to kick on from. I think there\u2019s a strong coaching team there, and a tight-knit coaching team. That really appealed to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Felix Jones (right) will reunite with fitness guru Aled Walters (left) with England <\/p>\n
Jones is seen as a key addition to Borthwick\u2019s team of coaches, a fresh new voice to add perspective and input. It certainly helps that he brings with him such a record of success, recognising how to foster and further a winning culture.<\/p>\n
South Africa\u2019s return to the top speaks volumes about the drive within a diverse squad. Jones hopes to impart some of that upon his new charges come January.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that every team has a soul or a DNA or a style or a way of playing and the best teams tap into that,\u201d Jones outlined. \u201cI think every nation and every country has something. I think the goal is finding out how to make that more tangible.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think with South Africa, it\u2019s not just the title. It\u2019s bigger than that. There\u2019s something bigger that they\u2019re playing for that I can\u2019t articulate. It\u2019s not just winning the World Cup for them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s probably a reflection of life in South Africa. You can\u2019t dwell on negatives there. You have to make a plan and find a way. It is that simple, and it\u2019s taken a long time for me to comprehend.<\/p>\n
\u201c[England] is going to be a new challenge. I\u2019m really looking forward to it. They\u2019ve got some quality players. They\u2019ve really had a great World Cup; on their night, they could have beaten South Africa in the semi-final. When you have the [winning] bug, it makes you want to do it again. It\u2019s kind of an addiction. I can\u2019t wait.\u201d <\/p>\n