Former England boss admits spying on rivals, sent coaches in costumes

Speaking back in 2019 after Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa confessed to sending scouts to watch rival training sessions, Jones revealed England had previously gone to extraordinary lengths to gather intel on opponents.

“He was telling everyone what everyone does,” Jones said at the time. “Fifteen years ago, we used to send people out in costumes to watch training. It used to be part of the pre-match brief.”

Jones even recalled one bizarre incident involving a senior coach disguised as a swagman attempting to spy on a rival session before being chased away.

“I can remember sending a coach who is now in a very senior position dressed like a swagman to watch one team train and he got chased out of there,” he added.

Despite the confession, Jones insisted the practice had become outdated due to the sheer amount of footage now available through match analysis.

“You do not need to do it now because you see everything in a game. I have been coaching for 20 years and it has always been going on, but I can say with a hand on my heart, we don’t do it anymore. We don’t see the value of it because we can glean most of the stuff from games now.”

Jones also admitted spying can become a concern at major tournaments like the Rugby World Cup, particularly when teams train in venues overlooked by hotels or apartment blocks.

“We will have the security we need, but I don’t want to get to the extent where we go to the team room and we’re putting Blu Tack on the keyhole or looking under seats for tape recorders. It creates a sense of paranoia.”

The former England boss also revealed just how open some attempts at spying can be.

“I was having a coffee with Steve Borthwick in South Africa and a bloke comes out with a camera and starts trying to take photos of all our notes,” Jones said. “You can be too obsessed about it — just do what you can to protect what is important.”

Jones’ comments have resurfaced amid fresh controversy in football following another alleged spying row involving Middlesbrough and Southampton.

Every season has added another name to the roll of honour, a roll call of the teams that have stood tallest in Europe when it mattered most.

Ahead of this weekend’s final in Bilbao, where Leinster and Union Bordeaux Bègles meet for continental glory, this quiz challenges you to go back through the history books and name every Champions Cup winner since the competition began.