Tokyo (AFP)

Upon his arrival as coach, four years ago, Eddie Jones painstakingly prepared England, tactically and physically, for the World Cup final. He hit the goal on Saturday, a goal also personal after stumbling on the last step sixteen years ago.

Wink of fate, it is with this XV of the Rose that had beaten with Australia in the final in 2003 (20-17 ap), that he could win the Grail.

For what the English Federation, after the fiasco of World-2015, where England was eliminated from home chickens, has released his checkbook to attract one of the best technicians in the world, just a history of history victory at the head of Japan against South Africa (34-32). And make it the first foreigner to head the selection, as well as the highest paid coach in the world, with an estimated annual salary of 860,000 euros by the English press.

The skill has a price, that of a technician of 59 years who rolls his bump on the circuit since the middle of the 1990s, after an honest career of hooker.

And who, in addition to his feat at the helm of the "Brave Blossoms" and his final World Cup with the Wallabies, won the Super Rugby in 2001 with the Brumbies and was a consultant, the coaching Springboks sacred champions of the world in 2007.

A master tactician whose game plan has smothered New Zealand, double defending title rolled Saturday in the semifinals (19-7). Where he came out of his hat doublet openers Owen Farrell-George Ford to walk the All Blacks.

"He's coached so many teams that he knows exactly what the game plan is going to do on Monday, and we're all on board," said England back Elliot Daly.

- The return of beers -

An expert of the little phrases that make the headlines, and "mind games", these struggles of influence with the adversary through the intermediary press. Jones controls to the communication, which he uses to reverse the pressure, take it on his shoulders and remove it from those of the players.

In return, he asks them 100%, and even a little more, just like his assistants. "You've all heard that Eddie was able to call the technical analyst at 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning to get some videos ready ... that gives you a sense of his requirement," says Bryan Habana winger of the Springboks scribed in 2007.

This requirement is coupled with great candor because "Eddie is always honest, you know exactly what he thinks of you," says Daly.

It also gives the players, once again authorized, on their arrival, to drink "three or four beers" during long evenings at Pennyhill Park, the "English Marcoussis", near London.

- Judo, MMA, football and cycling -

Especially Jones, a former teacher, the son of an Australian soldier and an American-Japanese, is as demanding of others as he is to himself, a workaholic rising at dawn to concoct intense and varied training.

For these sessions, he turned to various horizons: to improve the postures to the contact and plating technique of the English, he has appealed to specialists in judo and mixed martial arts (MMA). And, last year, the New Zealander John Mitchell (defense) and the Australian Scott Wisemantel (attack) to beef up his coaching.

Jones also draws on other sports, such as football - he spoke with Arsene Wenger or Guus Hiddink - and cycling (the Australian Orica-GreenEdge training).

The progression of the XV of the Rose to Yokohama (suburb of Tokyo), place of the final, has been marked since the first day. He even said he had forecast the 2018 slump when England lined up five straight defeats after a bumper two-year Grand Slam in the Six Nations (2016) and a record-setting 18 victorious matches.

The predictable counter-blow of the intense physical preparation, according to him. He then asked the English press to "judge him on the World Cup". The hour of judgment has arrived.

© 2019 AFP