MOURINHO’S MAN
How Jones turned England into fittest
Eddie Jones reveals how meeting with a fitness expert previously consulted by Manchester United helped his England side stay unbeaten for more than a year
Cardiff — Eddie Jones has revealed how a meeting with a fitness expert previously consulted by Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has helped his England side stay unbeaten for more than a year. Grand Slam champions England came from behind to beat Wales 21-16 in Cardiff on Saturday as they chalked up a 16th successive Test victory. They are now just two shy of world champions New Zealand’s all-time record of 18 consecutive Test wins by a tier one nation. Whereas Wales were once arguably the fittest team in Europe, Jones believes that title now belongs to England. The Australian coach said a meeting in Qatar with a Spanish exercise physiologist named Alberto Mendez-Villanueva, who had worked with Mourinho, taught him an approach he first used as Japan’s coach and one he is now deploying with England. "Wales were the benchmark team in Europe for winning games in the last 20 minutes," said Jones, who has won all his matches as England coach since taking over after their disastrous...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.