Southampton vs Sparta Praha - Eddie Jones visits Saints as they prepare for Sparta Prague

Posted Thursday, September 15, 2016 by PA

Southampton's preparations for Thursday's Europa League visit of Sparta Prague have included a visit from England rugby head coach Eddie Jones.

The Australian visited the club's training ground on Wednesday morning, and though he was there for his own experience, he had a conversation with manager Claude Puel and his first-team squad.

Frenchman Puel remains fond of rugby having been born in Castres. His father played the sport, and he remains friends with coaches Bernard Laporte of Toulon and Pierre Berbizier of Racing Metro.

Speaking as the manager of a club where Sir Clive Woodward once spent 13 months as technical support director, he said of Jones' visit: "It was a good meeting, a good man, and a good trainer.

"It's interesting to meet him, and to discuss together, for example, tactics in playing rugby. There's a similarity with football.

"I like rugby. My father was a rugby player. When I was training every week it wasn't football I was watching but rugby. I like rugby. I was born in Castres which is the city of French rugby.

"It is a good thing (to observe and learn from others sports). It is important for a trainer to stay open with other trainers and work with other trainers, even from other sports. It is very interesting to see the similar tactics and it is interesting to discuss and take ideas from different sports.

"(Jones) makes progress and improves because rugby and football and other sports develop all the time."

Thursday's fixture is Southampton's first ever in the group stages of the Europa League. Sparta potentially represent kind opposition, given they last won in England in 1983 against Watford and have failed to beat Premier League opposition in their past 14 attempts.

They are also without Tomas Rosicky, owing to a lack of match fitness.

Southampton, because of knee injuries, remain without B£16million record signing Sofiane Boufal and Jeremy Pied, but Puel is already targeting Europa League football next season and is therefore determined to prioritise the competition.

"It will be important for the future to play another campaign in the Europa League," he said. "I hope to play next year because it is very important to bring a good experience every time.

"It is not easy to have a European campaign. There are good teams which are used to playing these games.

"Whether it is the Champions League or Europa League it is important to play these games to have good experience and opportunity. For many players in my squad this is the first time and it is difficult and hard to know all the emotion for this game.

"You need to play football in the Europa League. It's not enough to just wait for the ball and do a counter-attack."