When Ireland play England it's just different to most games. When any team plays England it's different to most of their games.
800 years of British rule, heightened tensions during the troubles and decades of anti-English sentiment make Ireland's encounters with England a little fierier than most other internationals in rugby, but at times it's a lot simpler than that, at times it's just a desire to beat them and win.
https://twitter.com/SecondCaptains/status/973948526425247745
If Ireland's quest for a Grand Slam against an England side reeling from back-to-back defeats wasn't enough motivation for both sides, England head coach Eddie Jones added more fuel to the fire by labeling Ireland's rugby team as 'scummy'.
Speaking at a conference in July of last year, Jones referred to Wales as a 'shit little place' and spoke about getting revenge over "the scummy Irish" at Twickenham this weekend.
Maybe it's Jones' idea of 'banter', maybe he thought he would not be recorded and his speech would only be heard by those in the room, but needless to say, he thought wrong.
https://twitter.com/RuaidhriOC/status/973991418032279552
https://twitter.com/neilfissler/status/973974640723886080
When the video was published online it soon followed the general news cycle that has become commonplace for high profile people that say or do stupid and offensive things.
The person says something, or in Jamie Carragher's case spits at a car, it gains traction online, a mob forms and the backlash gathers momentum, there's calls for the guilty party to be sacked and the person makes an apology.
Because its Eddie Jones and he's the head coach of the England national rugby team, this process was completed in two hours when the Australian said he was very sorry for his comments.
The apologies are necessary, especially when you spit at a teenager or refer to a nation your adopted country has a historically frosty relationship with as 'scummy', but an apology does not always absolve the action.
Saying sorry doesn't eliminate the fact that a 40-year-old man spat a car because a supporter was slagging him over the result of a football game and saying sorry doesn't change the fact that a 58-year-old man called Ireland scummy.
Jones seems to have slipped up and got caught out in a bad attempt at having some very misguided 'banter', but of course, he has a decorated history of creating controversy.
Before Ireland's last trip to Twickenham in 2016, Jones said of Ireland fly-half Johnny Sexton's head injuries:
“Sexton is an interesting one. They’ve talked about him having whiplash injury. I’m sure his mother and father would be worried about that. I’d be worried about his welfare if he’s had whiplash injuries. Hopefully the lad’s all right to play on Saturday."
He questioned Wales fly-half Rhys Patchell's bottle last month and said that his teammates would be wondering how he's holding up and if they could trust him. He referred to matches against Italy as the 'Panini Cup'. He removed an Arnold Schwarzenegger quote from England's high performance centre because he wasn't 'a big fan of his movies'.
He's a quirky guy, that much is clear, but for all his wisecracks and mindgames, he still knew what he was saying at that business conference because he outlined his knowledge of England's relationship with its surrounding neighbours ahead of his first game in charge against Scotland in 2016.
“Sir Clive (Woodward) summed it up best when he said everyone hates England," said Jones.
"And it’s true. Because of the history that is involved, the surrounding countries with the social and historical context, that long-seated rivalry - you can feel that hatred of England."
https://twitter.com/HuwJenkins79/status/974013808846000128
https://twitter.com/Gr86322039David/status/974011907928666113
https://twitter.com/skelly_1989/status/974011103641554947
One search of Eddie Jones on Twitter and you can see first hand the animosity that is shown towards the England coach.
While many have lauded him for his honesty and his antics in attracting a wider audience to the sport, if your neighbour finds out that you've called them scummy before they come over to your house for dinner it will probably lead to an uncomfortable meal, even if Ireland will most likely eat like kings on Saturday as they prepare to take England's crown. Not bad for a scummy team.
