The Wallabies relished the opening week of the Rugby World Cup hiding away from all of the tournament hullabaloo in Bath. They were allowed to quietly go about their business in this stunning tourist town. Also helping them was the fact that everyone was far more interested in another Australian.

The achievement of Eddie Jones in masterminding Japan's triumph over South Africa will be difficult to topple as the No.1 highlight of this World Cup. It is what everyone, including so many who only have a passing interest in rugby, wants to talk about. It was by far the World Cup's biggest upset, and among its greatest moments. It wouldn't surprise if in five weeks' time we are still calling it the highpoint of this tournament.

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Reality returned when Scotland overhauled them during the week - which is understandable considering the short turnaround between Japan's first two matches; the fatigue factor cruelled Japan, as it did Fiji when the Islanders confronted Australia in Cardiff. Nonetheless Japan's extraordinary gutting of the Springboks was a timely reminder that rugby needs more personalities, constructive thinkers and true believers like Eddie Jones.

Of all the rugby coaches I have dealt with, Jones is at the top of the pecking order in terms of encyclopedic knowledge of the game, commitment to the cause, and belief that hard work is imperative. Whatever success Jones has achieved is deserved because he is totally devoted to the task. His attention to detail is overwhelming. There is no one more consumed by rugby than Jones.

Eddie Jones is the ultimate scrapper. He loves confrontation and the intellectual challenges that coaching provides. He is a workaholic, single minded, disciplined, dictatorial, and often tricky to handle.

As he said when replacing Rod Macqueen as Wallabies coach in 2001, his primary pursuits were rugby and his family, and there was virtually no time for anything else. His was a "fairly obsessive life". He devoted 10 to 14 hours daily to coaching when in charge of the Brumbies, but the pace picked up even more when he wore the green and gold tracksuit between 2001 and 2005.

Numerous assistant coaches to Jones have admitted that it can be the most exasperating of experiences. He is a tough taskmaster. He has the sharpest of tongues. One of Jones' assistants during his time as Wallabies coach was sighted on a flight reading a book about self-confidence. The reason? "So I can stand up to Eddie better."

But there are actually other interests in Jones' life. He is also a passionate follower of cricket, and his hero is not surprisingly Ian Chappell - another combative character. A one-time early batsman in the Sydney grade cricket ranks, Jones wasn't joking when he said after Japan's win in Brighton: "I'm too old for this. At my age I should be in Barbados watching cricket."

Still it is impossible to visualise Jones lazing on a West Indian beach. He would be far more interested in ensuring he knew the latest of what was going on in both the cricket and rugby worlds. And there is no international rugby coach who understands the value and impact of the media. He is fascinated by the media, and knows how to use it.

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During his time with the Brumbies and Wallabies, Jones and I had our clashes; our relationship became heated at times, but ultimately fruitful, because Jones, unlike some other high-profile coaches, was never devious. He would tell you straight out if he was underwhelmed with something you had written. The differences would be immediately sorted out, and then everyone would get back on with the job. Respect grew.

On Wallabies tours, the Australian press corp particularly looked forward to his Thursday sermon. On the day when the players were off limits to the media, Jones would make himself available and so often came up with riveting story lines when, prompted by the right questions, he would offer his often adventurous thoughts on how and where rugby could be improved.

He understood the sense of theatre. For years at press conferences he and then England coach Clive Woodward took potshots at each other. It at times became acidic. It was also a clever publicity ploy. As Woodward recently wrote: "I clashed with Eddie a few times, but I was probably as close to him as any rival. We used to talk, swap emails. I saw it as part of the fun. We don't do that stuff now. Media training has gone to ridiculous levels in all sports. They're just stifling people, making them worse in front of the media, not better. The sport needs character and personality."

Jones still loves to rev it up. For some years he has written an entertaining column for the Courier-Mail; in typical Jones fashion, he doesn't hold back.

Not surprisingly Jones did not waste the moment when telling the press this week why he was leaving Japanese rugby. Next day, there he was on the back-page of some London newspapers explaining that "lack of ambition" within the Japanese rugby ranks had forced him to leave.

So the next to gain from the Jones way will be the Stormers. South African provincial rugby can be a tough beast, but it won't inhibit Jones. His job there will be made easier because of the enormous respect South Africans have for him. And so they should, because he played an enormous role in their 2007 World Cup triumph. Jake White was the Springboks coach that year, but Jones's role as a team adviser during that tournament should never be under-estimated. He was at the core of that successful campaign.

The Stormers are the perfect vehicle for Fast Eddie. He relishes working with underachievers and getting them back on track. As always he will be merrily punching above his weight, antagonising many, delivering countless telling blows along the way. His past allies, in particular those in the Australian rugby ranks, should feel very, very concerned.