Former Russia head coach Kingsley Jones appeared to be struggling to remember the times he faced off against Georgia as he talked trash about them this on Scrum V this week.
When he's not working with the struggling Pro12 outfit the Newport Gwent Dragons, Kingsley Jones regularly finds time for his punditry gig on the Welsh rugby magazine show Scrum V. This week on the show he gave some avant garde recollections of his atrocious stint in charge of the Russian national team as he talked some absolute garbage in regards to their rivals Georgia, who he claimed would be 'a farce' in the 6 Nations.
Much of what Kingsley Jones said on the topic was rubbish, but what topped it off was his bizarre memory of the times he faced off against Georgia as Russian coach.
"My Russian team we were so close, in 60 minutes in three games I was with them we were winning. But they changed the whole front 5."
Now although Kingsley may be wishing to forget his time in charge of Russia (he inherited a team that had reached a ranking high of 16 in 2010 and made their first ever World Cup appearance in 2011 which under his reign turned into a shambles), but his recollection of his encounters with Georgia are just completely untrue. In fact, they are so far from the truth it is laughable.
Anyway to help refresh Kingsley's memory, the biggest win of Georgia's 18 match unbeaten run against Russia was a 46 point whitewash in 2012. That was also the first of Kingsley Jones' three losses from three against them.
Far from 'winning at 60 minutes', a lookback at the scoresheet in that game reveals at the hour mark the Georgians were actually up 34-0. 'So close' indeed.
Video: Kingsley Jones has some good experience of 'hidings' on sunny days.
Here's Irakli Machkhaneli rounding off a 46-0 rout of his side in 2012.
In total, in Kingsley Jones' three matches against Georgia the aggregate score was 105-19. To claim a 86 point deficit from three matches was merely because 'they changed the front 5' is absurd.
Russia were not winning at 60 minutes in any of the three games either. In fact they were not even within a converted try in any of the three games at the hour mark. So in short, Kingsley's memory skills have failed him nearly as spectacularly as his coaching skills failed Russia.
Aside from that, various other points from Kingsley's 'analysis' were erroneous and well wide of the mark.
He seemed to suggest there is some sort of system in place where teams can 'get their rewards' and gain better fixtures in the November internationals. Not true at all.
He ridiculously suggests the World Cup is an easier environment for a team to compete and cause a shock than a 6 Nations tournament. Despite the fact that in 2011 two of Georgia's three games against Tier 1 opponents were played with 3 day turnarounds. Or even though there being no games in front of a noisy sell out Tbilisi crowd in a World Cup. Or that you get more experience and stabs at going for the win in a 6 Nations.
Plus among other things he ignores the obvious long term effect that playing in a tournament allows for significantly more resources and interest pouring down into the system. Or the fact that Georgia currently battle on a completely uneven playing field resources wise to any 6 Nations side. Or that you could just as easily cherry pick isolated matches with no mention of the context they were played in to Georgia's favour to counter Martyn Williams' lame entry into the debate (Japan beat Italy but Georgia then beat Japan etc).
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| Kingsley Jones at Cowbridge RFC on a 'Worthington Wednesday Night Forum' before the team he coached played Georgia on the Saturday |
It's actually astounding someone who has actually coached a Tier 2 side in recent times has such little knowledge or insight into one of their annual opponents or the general system that the sides have to work with.
But then again, maybe this lack of knowledge shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. After all, last year Kingsley was doing a 'Worthington Wednesday Night Forum' at Cowbridge RFC clubhouse just a couple of days before his side were to face the Georgians in Tbilisi. If Kingsley was then flying out and offering his team merely the highly unoriginal clichéd 'analysis' of 'they have props', then it is no wonder he led them to their worst ever defeat against the Georgians.
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