LONDON - The pre-match hype ahead of Saturday's clash between England and Australia escalated as Eddie Jones was depicted as a clown by an Australian newspaper.
England head coach Eddie Jones speaks to journalists during a press conference at their Pennyhill Park facility in Bagshot, south-east England on December 1, 2016
Underneath a headline of 'Introducing The Real Clown of Rugby', Saturday's front page of The Australian's sports section carried a caricature of a smiling Jones with sharpened teeth.
His face was painted with a St George's Cross, the national flag of England, against the backdrop of a Red Rose -- the emblem of the England rugby union team.
In October, Australia coach Michael Cheika was depicted as an angry clown by the New Zealand Herald newspaper under the banner of 'Send in the Clowns'.
Jones, a native Australian and the Wallabies coach when they lost the 2003 World Cup final to England in Sydney, has repeatedly hit out at the "disrespectful" treatment he felt his current side received during a June tour of Australia that saw England win a Test series 3-0.
But an opinion piece alongside the caricature of Jones, The Australian said: "Forget Michael Cheika. Eddie Jones is the real clown of the world rugby circus.
"Jones is no bumbling buffoon or jovial jester. He is a menacing clown with a dark side, terrorising poor Cheika as if he were part of the creepy clown craze that has swept the world.
"He does not even need make-up or a costume to act the clown, just those mischievous eyes, cheeky grin and eviscerating one-liners.
"A Jones media conference is like a dark carnival where he dissects his victims with the sharpest of tongues.
"Jones is a master of using black comedy to belittle his adversaries and no one has been the victim of his invective more than Cheika, who in turn has looked bemused and besieged."
Jones declined to comment on the picture and the article when asked about The Australian's treatment of him at a pre-match news conference on Friday.
Having grown up in an Australian sports environment where rugby union often struggles for a foothold, Jones has long had an ability rivalled by few coaches to 'sell' a game.
However, this had led to accusations that he indulges in 'mind games' designed to unsettle opponents.
In June, Steve Hansen, the coach of New Zealand, said Cheika had been "bullied" in the media by Jones.
Cheika, who played alongside Jones, at Sydney club Randwick, has been noticeably more outspoken this week, saying the England coach risked tarnishing his legacy at home and had a "chip on his shoulder".