Ex-Fijian Drua head coach to join Japan's coaching team
- Mark Pickering
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
Former Fijian Drua head coach Glen Jackson is set to join Japan’s coaching team, RugbyJP.com can exclusively reveal.
Fielding, New Zealand-born Jackson, 50, left the Super Rugby side by mutual consent in April just weeks after stepping away from his role as an assistant to the Fijian national team under Mick Byrne.
The former Saracens and Chiefs fly-half, who had a spell as a Test referee post-retirement, attended Japan’s impressive Nations Championship victory over Italy in full Japan coaching attire on Saturday.
Jackson witnessed the Brave Blossoms’ 27-10 triumph at the sold out Chichibunomiya Stadium in Tokyo and visited the home team’s dressing room post-match.
Japan head coach Eddie Jones returned to full duty on Sunday after serving the final match suspension of his four-game ban from the JRFU.
Forwards coach Neal Hatley acted as head coach for the win against Italy with support from Gary Gold who is the team’s defence coach.
Jackson is expected to fill the role vacated by Japan’s former attack coach Dan Bowden who left their coaching team last year.
Jones’ team left Tokyo for Australia on Sunday evening ahead of facing Andy Farrell’s Ireland, who edged the Wallabies 33-31 in Sydney, in Newcastle, New South Wales on Saturday.
The former England and Wallabies head coach heavily criticised Ireland’s ‘power play’ in moving their Nations Championship fixture from Japan to a neutral venue in Australia.
“You know why we’re playing Ireland in Newcastle, Ireland have all the power at World Rugby,” said Jones on the Rugby Unity podcast.
“So, we have to play a home game, that should be in Tokyo, in Australia to make sure Ireland doesn’t have to travel too much.
“We have to suck it up, that’s what happens when you’re not a major political power at the table.”
The Six Nations runners-up lost their last game against the Brave Blossoms in Japan during the 2019 Rugby World Cup, under Joe Schmidt, as Jamie Joseph’s hosts surged into the quarter-finals by topping their group.
Jones added: “We’ve got to be grateful to be in the Nations Championship. We have to accept there might be some inequalities in the distribution of games.
“We look forward to playing there against a very good Ireland side to keep everyone happy.”
Japan will host Six Nations winners France at Tokyo’s National Stadium in round three of the new tournament on Saturday 18 July.
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