Eddie Jones has attracted criticism for not devoting himself to England's head coach role year-round, but Samu Kerevi is content to make the most of his countryman's insider knowledge.
The controversy surrounding Jones' split duties was reopened on Monday after it emerged the England chief is back in Japan working in his advisory role for Tokyo Sungoliath. The Rugby Football Unon (RFU) has in the past said its "aware and comfortable" with the shared responsibilities, though fans may not be as compliant following a second straight losing Six Nations campaign.
Australia centre Kerevi has stirred the pot further by suggesting he's sought to glean some "England secrets" during Jones' spell back as a consultant in Tokyo. The topic is a touchy one as England gear up for a three-Test series Down Under in July before potentially facing the Wallabies in next year's Rugby World Cup knockout stage.
“I’m mostly trying to get the England secrets away from him at the moment. I’m asking him a few questions on how they play and how his centres’ movements are, so hopefully I can help if I get selected back into the Wallabies,” he said. “He’s been a great addition to us. I’ve dealt with him the last couple of years and had good conversations with him, especially one on ones.
"Rens [Wallabies coach Dave Rennie] has spoken about it the last couple of days, [Jones is] really experienced at that international level, so any insights he has for my game I really take on board and try to implement throughout the season. He’s always coming around saying how fit I am – really I’m not – but that positive reinforcement from a guy like him is awesome."
Jones' relationship with Tokyo (formerly Suntory) Sungoliath stretches back some 20 years, and the club currently leads Japan's Rugby League One approaching the end of its regular season. Some England supporters might expect a laser focus on England, however, with the Australian under huge pressure 18 months before his time at the Red Rose helm is expected to come to an end.
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A return of just two wins from five games at a second successive Six Nations has even led to speculation Jones' successor could be brought in before next year's World Cup. Regardless of who makes up the coaching team, England's faithful will want to feel confidence those making the decisions are entirely focused on the job at hand.
It's uncertain how forthcoming Jones might have been in giving up any England nous, though he Kerevi did gain some insight on a potential head-to-head match-up. “My work ethic off the ball, he spoke last year about trying to get more touches in my hands," added the former Queensland Red. "He’s spoken about Manu [Tuilagi] a lot and how he’s progressed his game, but also for myself just trying to add a few things to my game to really expand my skill set. That was his big thing from last year.”
There's a good chance of Jones coming up his native country once again in next year's World Cup quarter-finals. England line up in Pool D with Argentina and Japan as their main competition, while Australia will be very hopeful of topping a Pool C line-up that also includes Wales, Fiji and Georgia.
Kerevi's spot on the plane to France isn't secured given Australia's selectors may prefer to pick talent based in Super Rugby circles. The country has eased its restrictions regarding overseas selections and those under the cap quota, however, meaning a number of stars based in Japan and France returned to the fold in the autumn.
Fans feared his time in the green and gold might be over following a cryptic post on Instagram following his withdrawal from last year's autumn internationals. Kerevi and Quade Cooper returned to Japan to get an early start on their pre-season preparations, with the former suggesting his time may have come to hand his jersey to a new heir.
The 28-year-old had an instant impact when he returned to the Wallabies fold last summer and helped Australia beat world champions South Africa in back-to-back meetings. Kerevi will hope former Australia boss Jones will help progress his game further, which could come back to bite England if both teams progress from their World Cup pools.
