Eddie Jones didn't deserve abuse from Scotland fans... hopefully it will not happen again, slams Gregor Townsend
- Scotland beat England 25-13 in the Six Nations last month at Murrayfield
- The result was marred when England head coach Eddie Jones was abused by Scotland fans when he arrived at Manchester train station the following morning
- Scotland counterpart Gregor Townsend has condemned the abuse dealt out
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has condemned the abuse handed out to Eddie Jones in the wake of England's Calcutta Cup defeat.
The England head coach was jostled and taunted by a group of Scottish men as he arrived in Manchester by train the day after his side's 25-13 loss in Edinburgh.
Jones had travelled alone via standard class to be a guest of Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford for Manchester United's Premier League clash with Chelsea.
Gregor Townsend has condemned the abuse Eddie Jones received last month by Scotland fans
Footage emerged of England boss Jones being abused and accosted by Scotland fans in Manchester after his side suffered defeat in Edinburgh during the Six Nations
Jones had initially stopped for photos at a train station in Manchester
After he was swarmed by the men, the Australian was quickly hustled into the waiting car with the help of his driver (red tie) and a station staff member (blue coat)
Video footage obtained by the BBC's Dan Roan shows Jones posing for selfies with the group, who then turned on the Australian, with one man calling him a 'baldy ****' as he was ushered into a car.
Jones later revealed that he feared for his safety during the incident.
But Townsend insists Jones deserved better treatment as he praised the way his opposite number had conducted himself in the aftermath of Scotland's victory.
Townsend said: 'Look, it was really disappointing to see that. Anybody that gets verbally abused like that, it's terrible to see, especially when it's someone involved in our sport and a fellow coach.
'So it was not good to see and hopefully that'll never happen again.
'No-one deserves that. I thought the way England handled (the defeat), which would have been a big disappointment for their players, to how they spoke after the game, to the coach - showed they were good losers as well as being very good winners over the last couple of years.'
One man followed Jones to his car, which was waiting to take him to Old Trafford
The man opened the door as another chanted and one filmed on his mobile phone
Two of the men started chanting in unison: 'You're a baldy 'f****** c*** on your own!'
Scottish Rugby have already issued a strong condemnation after footage of the incident emerged.
A statement read: 'Scottish Rugby is appalled by the verbal abuse suffered by Eddie Jones.
'The disgusting behaviour of those involved does not represent the values of our sport or its fans.
'The dignity Eddie and the England team showed on Saturday is in stark contrast to this ugly incident.'
Jones has resolved not to use public transport again following the experience and is frustrated given his willingness to engage with supporters.
Scotland head coach Townsend said on Wednesday: 'Hopefully that'll never happen again'
'I'm a human being. I don't consider myself any different from anyone else, so for me to travel on public transport I thought was OK. But I'll make sure I won't in future. It's as simple as that,' Jones said after the incident.
'I can't because it was shown on Sunday what happens when I do. That's the world we live in. I was massively surprised. It wasn't comfortable.
'I never knock back a request for a selfie unless I'm racing to somewhere. So I try and do the right thing by the fans, but if this happens then you've got to have a look at your own safety.'
When asked whether the abuse was physical or verbal, Jones replied: 'A bit of both.
'It's part of the challenge. As an Australian coaching England, there were always going to be challenges and that's just one of them.'
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