Eddie Jones says to see the galvanising effect the Boks’ World Cup triumph has on South Africa dampens the hardship he feels about losing in the final.
The Springboks thrashed England 32-12 to be crowned 2019 World Cup champions in Yokohama two weeks ago.
Jones, who will stay on in his position as England boss until at least 2021, says that while the disappointment would linger for a while still, it makes him happy to see what the result means to the Bok players and the people of South Africa.
‘Every time I wake up, the World Cup is there in front of me, in my head. It’s there all the time and it will be for a while,’ he said.
‘But I’m so pleased for those South African players. You can see what a galvanising effect it’s had on the country. That dampens the hardship a bit.’
Jones will next coach the Barbarians as they take on Fiji, Brazil and Wales as part of their November tour. He has included nine capped Springboks in the squad, including World Cup-winning trio Beast Mtawarira, Lukhanyo Am and Makazole Mapimpi.
‘You have to move on and coaching the Barbarians is a great chance to do that,’ he explained.
‘I’m trying to get hold of Beast,’ Jones joked. ‘He was instrumental in the Springboks’ World Cup win.’
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