Eddie Jones names Springbok icon as the greatest player he’s ever coached
Rugby NewsWednesday, 28 January 2026 at 10:22
Few coaches in world rugby can match Eddie Jones for sheer scope. Brumbies. Wallabies. England. Japan. Even a Springbok World Cup win as a key technical voice behind the scenes.
Across three decades, Jones has coached legends, innovators, and outright freaks of nature — but when asked to name the three best players he’s ever worked with by Jim Hamilton, the Australian didn’t hesitate.
Watch the Guinness Six Nations at your local Greene King sports pub.
And the names he landed on? Pure rugby royalty.
Here’s how Eddie Jones ranks the very best he’s ever coached.
3. George Smith (Australia)
Taking the bronze spot is one of the finest openside flankers the professional era has produced.
George Smith wasn’t just a breakdown menace — he was a complete footballer in a forward’s body, with hands like a centre and instincts like a scrum-half.
Jones first worked with Smith at the Brumbies, before the flanker became a cornerstone of his Wallabies side in the early 2000s.
And in typical Eddie fashion, the praise came with a brutally honest edge.
“Probably George Smith, mate… loved a good time, but he turned a tiny, fat little body into a champion player.”
Smith’s greatness was built on reinvention — transforming into a world-class No.7 who redefined the role in Australia, winning turnovers, linking play, and surviving at the top level for nearly two decades.
From Canberra to Toulon, Suntory to Wasps, Smith’s longevity alone puts him in rare company.
2. Stephen Larkham (Australia)
In second place is the man Eddie Jones believes changed rugby forever.
Stephen Larkham was the architect of Australia’s golden attacking era, a fly-half who played flatter, braver, and more dangerously than almost anyone before him.
Jones credits Larkham with revolutionising what a No.10 could be.
“Larkham revolutionized the game as a running 10… Long pass, short pass, [could] kick a drop kick.”
The irony? Larkham was never known as a classic drop-goal merchant…
Yet he produced one of the most iconic moments in World Cup history — that extra-time dagger against South Africa in 1999.
As Jones put it:
“I think he only kicked one drop kick and he won a World Cup. That’s a different level.”
Big-game genius. Rugby immortality secured.
1. Fourie du Preez (South Africa)
At number one — and in Eddie Jones’ eyes, clear of the rest — is Springbok maestro Fourie du Preez.
Jones worked closely with du Preez during South Africa’s triumphant 2007 World Cup campaign, and his admiration has never faded.
For Eddie, du Preez wasn’t just brilliant.
He was operating on a different rugby wavelength entirely.
“Number one is Fourie du Preez… He saw the game three rucks before everyone else. Incredible player.”
That line tells you everything.
Du Preez wasn’t simply playing scrum-half — he was conducting the sport. Territory, tempo, decision-making… he controlled matches like a chess grandmaster in boots.
A World Cup winner. A tactical heartbeat. The ultimate nine.
And for Eddie Jones, the smartest player he’s ever encountered.
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- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
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