Former Wallabies Justin Harrison and Morgan Turinui have warned Anthony Seibold that his workload and stress levels are about to go through the roof as he starts a new job as Eddie Jones’ defence coach with England.
NRL coach Seibold has signed a surprise two year deal with England that will take him through to the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
Jones has a long track record of working with coaches and staff from other sports and has former AFL coach Neil Craig as his head of high performance.
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Former NRL star Jason Ryles had a stint working as England’s skills coach under Jones, a Rabbitohs fan who struck up a relationship with Seibold during his time at South Sydney.
“What you do know with Eddie Jones is that he’s one of the best prepared rugby administrators and coaches in the world at the moment,” said Harrison, who played under notoriously thorough and demanding Jones for much of his career.
“He would have been searching high and low for someone to fit in for the next phase of English rugby. And sometimes they don’t always fit with what everyone else thinks.
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“But Eddie Jones works to a plan.”
Seibold has been working as a consultant with Newcastle this season as well as doing some remote analysis for Jones.
He replaces former All Blacks coach John Mitchell as England’s defence guru.
“Anthony Seibold’s work quotient is about to go through the roof and stress levels will match that,” Harrison quipped on Stan Sport’s Rugby Heaven.
“They’ll go up higher than our COVID count at the moment.
“But certainly that’s a great appointment, Seibs has been involved in the sport for a long time, we know Eddie Jones is very keen on dissecting all sorts of different sports and bringing them together to put what’s on the field for his English group at the moment.”
Turinui, who also played under Jones, said the veteran Australian mentor was “not blinkered” by what sporting background potential staff members came from.
“If you can contribute to his program he’ll get you in,” Turinui said.
“Australian rugby would love to have Eddie Jones back in the fold at some time in the future. But I am worried about Anthony Seibold’s health and welfare.
“Will there be a bit more mange in the hair maybe or psoriasis from being overworked?
“His stressful times are coming now.”