Eddie Jones has apologised for a bizarre remark in which he appeared to accuse a reporter of thinking that all half-Asian people looked the same.

On a day when Jones repeatedly insisted he was revelling in the pressure and heat of an up-and-down Six Nations campaign, England’s coach stumbled a little too close to the fire during a fractious press conference when asked whether he still meditated. “I don’t think I’ve ever spoken about meditation,” said Jones, who has a Japanese-American mother. “You must be thinking about someone else – maybe another half-Asian person.”

Then, smiling, he added: “Maybe we all look the same.”

Perhaps it was an attempt at a joke that backfired. Or maybe Jones was suggesting he felt he was the victim of racist attitudes but what made the exchange so unexpected was that moments earlier the same journalist had asked Jones, in the wake of Caroline Flack’s death, how he looked after his players’ mental health. “That’s a very interesting question,” he replied, before paying his respects to Flack’s family and explaining England had an “individual way of looking after each player as well as we can”.

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It was not as if meditation was a taboo subject for Jones, either. Last summer he spoke wisely on a podcast about the benefits of mindfulness and doing 5am breathing exercises.

Jones later apologised to the reporter in private and an RFU spokesman quickly clarified no malice was intended by his remarks. “Eddie made an off-the-cuff comment during the press conference, which was not intended to cause any offence. He has subsequently spoken to the journalist privately explaining this and apologised, which was accepted.”

This is far from the first time that Jones has caused controversy. Two years ago he also apologised after a video emerged in which he referred to “the scummy Irish” and Wales as a “little shit place” during a speech. But relations between Jones and some sections of the media are now more strained, although the genesis of the tension is disputed.

Some suggest that some reporters’ noses have been put out of joint by comments in Jones’s recent autobiography, or with his unwillingness to put up more Saracens players for interview. Others, though, believe that Jones is less inclined to cooperate after reading reports he gave France ammunition with some of his comments before the Six Nations began.

Either way, the tension and tetchiness sometimes was noticeable on Thursday, although Jones brushed off suggestions he was not enjoying this Six Nations. “I like all this heat around,” he said. “We are at our best when we are under pressure. I’m always under pressure, which is a great thing. That’s when you come to the fore.”

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But when it was put to him that the scrutiny had eased after the victory over Scotland at Murrayfield, he replied: “If you read the papers and what you are writing then there is a possibility that we could be under pressure.”

Jones was almost as forthright when asked about the strength of Ireland’s aerial game. “There’s a perception they’re strong,” he said. “And that’s been cultivated through the years of players that have come through with a Gaelic football background.

“But we believe we’ve got some pretty good armoury in that area. And we are happy to take them on in the air, if the conditions dictate it’s an aerial contest.”

When pressed further he said: “I think we’ve got an advantage in that area.”

Jones was blunt when asked what he made of the U2 singer Bono giving a pep talk to Ireland’s squad earlier in the week. “I’m not interested in talking about Bono,” he said. “I’m not into celebrities, mate.”

There is more sparring with the press again to come. Unusually Jones has put himself up for every media opportunity in the last week – four in all – and is scheduled to appear on Friday and Saturday, too.

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The Bath prop Beno Obano could well be in line for his first cap after being recalled to the squad because of injury doubts over Joe Marler and Ellis Genge and the return of the loosehead prop Mako Vunipola to Tonga for family reasons.

“Beno’s on the freight train, just in as a bit of cover,” Jones said. “We’ve got a few niggles, so we just needed an extra prop in there.”

Jones had already announced an enlarged 27-man squad – two more than usual at this stage of the week – for a match England need to win to keep their Six Nations hopes alive.