Jones thanks Guscott for motivation
Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:55
Kingsley Jones has hit back at former England and Lions stars Jeremy Guscott and Stuart Barnes after the two pundits criticized the Sale Sharks for their uninspiring match tactics.
Head coach Jones has seen his team have a fantastic start to the new season, winning four of their five Guinness Premiership games. Despite that though they have been taken to task by ‘experts’ with regards to how they have gone about earning their points.
With only three tries in all of their fixtures so far in the domestic season Guscott went as far as to say he would be “embarrassed” to be an attacking weapon in the Sale backline and that he "could not envisage playing for them."
The Sharks though, whose Director of Rugby, Philippe Saint-Andre, actually picked up the coach of the month award, could clearly care less about what the former stars have said.
Jones in fact says, if nothing else, comments such as these from respected rugby names will only serve as further motivation for the team as they prepare for their Heineken Cup opener with Clermont Auvergne.
"It's good of Jerry to come out and say that because, if nothing else, his words will certainly fire us up," said Jones.
"I know Jerry and he's got a job to do to fill a column and has got to write something interesting. But it's nothing new.
"Two years ago when we won the Premiership, for the last two months of the season, everyone was criticising us about not scoring tries, so you can't win.
"At the end of the day, of course we want to play winning rugby, of course we want to play exciting rugby. But the league is so tight and at the moment all the tries are coming from turnovers and counter-attack and its difficult for everyone.
"If we were knocking away and not looking like scoring tries then there would be things to worry about.
"But I'm not worried about not scoring as many tries as Joe Public would like. The other night when we lost at London Irish, our hooker Neil Briggs was an inch away from scoring a try, our winger Mark Cueto was an inch from scoring and I could point to numerous other occasions this season when we have been so close to going over.
"Sure, if we weren't getting into those positions, if we were knocking away without making any headway at all, then we would be concerned but that simply hasn't been the reality.
"At the end of the day we want to play great rugby and win but winning always comes first in our book."
