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Exclusive to Rugby Unplugged's 2016 RBS Six Nations coverage, we bring you weekly analysis on Eddie Jones' England Rugby, from journalist and Rugby Writer James While. |
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Friday 5th February 2016
EDDIE JONES is a mercurial character.
Love him or loathe him, he has a garrulous but engaging sense of humour, a pragmatic but refined understanding of the game of rugby and an absolute zero tolerance policy of suffering fools, gladly or not.
Following the devolution of all national coaching powers to the New South Wales region, Eddie has been very forthright in his articulation of the building blocks of England Rugby.
Jones cites a strong set-piece, a competitive presence at the breakdown and powerful defence as the cornerstones of his masterplan for world domination. All good stuff, but let’s unpack some of that thinking.
A year ago, England played Scotland at Twickenham. Vern Cotter, fastidious to the last, had noted how Australia had exploited England’s propensity to detach the back pod of their line out during the November tests.
England dominated the first twenty minutes, but then England, choosing to throw long on their own 22, threw too flat, compounded by failing to get the elevation on Haskell at the tail; the resultant poach and tap from Scotland allowed Greg Laidlaw to sprint through the line-out hole and set up Scotland’s first try. England eventually won handsomely, but the seeds of line-out doubt were sown and Ireland destroyed England in every aspect of aerial rugby the next weekend in Dublin, primarily based upon the complete dismantling of the English set piece.
This sums up England’s current dilemmas. Jones has picked precisely the same back row, albeit with a switch of role on the flank, but it highlights that, in terms of selection, we’ve not moved forward in 12 months.
Indeed, Jones has been effusive in his praise for the outgoing Lancaster regime and has announced to all that he has a very combative squad moving forward. Yet that competition is in 23-30 shirts rather than the match day squad, where it’s same old same old. Sure, Eddie’s changed the bowlers but hasn’t really changed the bowling. England, in fairness, now have more players on the periphery that show promise, but as a leading nation in world rugby, the paucity of world class players is palpable and, bar Joe Launchbury, England have no players who would be serious contenders for any form of imaginary World XV.
But how do you find out about those fringe options unless you try them?
What is troubling is that with a clean sheet of paper and a team that has only proven it is unproven, he’s reverted to a safety first ‘win the next game’ approach when perhaps a more bold selection, the capping of Jack Clifford, the retention of Elliot Daly and Josh Beaumont perhaps, would have yielded better long term results.
And what of Scotland?
Those that have short term memory issues (and there’s plenty of those in rugby) appear to have forgotten that the last Scottish outing was within a few seconds of a World Cup semi-final and an historic win versus the Wallabies.
Scotland have some real seasoned international performers; Matt Scott, Stuart, Hogg, Blair Cowan, Greg Laidlaw and Dave Denton are all sure to be Lions next summer, and Cotter’s ability to create a competitive setpiece and breakdown has been the bedrock on which Scotland have become resurgent.
Without wishing to stereotype, February at Murrayfield is normally something less than a running try-fest. Inclement weather, stodgy conditions and the legendary dampness of the Scottish turf may all conspire to make this a dogfight of a match. Fine margins will abound, tight calls will shape the game and the battle of the kickers, breakdown and setpiece will inform every aspect of success.
It’s better the devil you know than the devil you don’t, is an apt quote. So, whilst Jones has been conservative, one could argue he’s made the best of a bad job, but equally, you might also suggest that a more daring approach may have tested the Scottish thinking, and they know the devil in front of them a lot better than the other options Jones may have considered.
In the final analysis, examining the teams and comparing the desire of the Scots to win versus the English need to bully, you sense an upset is on the cards, and I call Scotland to win by the tightest of margins in a battle of power, attrition and discipline.
For a man that says he needs little rest, the amount of coffee Jones has consumed speaking to coaches, players and various stakeholders within the game, together with the worries of England’s propensity to under-perform, will ensure many restless nights.
And if they lose on Saturday, he’s unlikely to get a wink of sleep for a couple of weeks.
BT Murrayfield - Saturday 06 February
KO: 16:50 HT: 6-7
P: Laidlaw (3)
T: Kruis, Nowell C: Farrell P: Farrell
ENGLAND’S much vaunted brave new dawn under Eddie Jones became more of a damp and miserable morning with brighter spells moving in towards the end of the day at Murrayfield.
With just the minimal changes to the starting XV, and an error strewn first 20 minutes, one could be forgiven for believing it was just more of the same from England.
Scotland, called by many as pre-match favourites, showed real intent early on but in the final analysis, Vern Cotter will be furious that such a talented side a) lost and b) yet again failed to score a try at home against the Auld Enemy (yes, that’s 504 minutes now).
However, a strange phenomenon started to materialise as England become decisive, organised and penetrative. Yes, at times execution let them down, but gone were the stuttering and dithering displaying under the rein of Lancaster and Robshaw; here was a side that went about their business as one, and if Eddie Jones has achieved that in two short weeks, then Lord knows what more he can deliver.
England now travel to a resurgent Italy on Sunday and if we unpack their performance we can see a number of improvements:
The Scrummage: You don’t go from a world class front row to useless tubs of lard overnight. England performed woefully during the World Cup up front. Now they look strong and Dan Cole spent so much of the second half launching Ross Ford and co upwards into space that Tim Peake started to put the coffee on in case he got visitors.
The difference is twofold; firstly, England are making short sharp movements and removing big strides and shoves out of the equation (as these can leave technique exposed). They were squat, muscular, low and a unit. Secondly, Jones picked two hookers noted for their power in the tight. Cole and replacement loosehead Mako Vunipola seemed so liberated by Hartley’s return that turnovers and Maso-esque passes abounded hither and thither from the two lumps as they found renewed vigour around the pitch.
Length: A wise man once wrote that length is overrated; nothing is further from the truth in international rugby and Steve Borthwick’s influence on the detail of the English forwards was wholly apparent. At ruck time, England ‘posted length’- they got the ball as far back from the player as possible thus making it hard to steal. The rolling maul was long and thin; an arrowhead rather than a bow and the lineout became extended but accurate as Hartley’s confidence grew. The length of time Scotland had on the ball was minimal as time and time again the Paul Gustard-inspired defence pushed hard in the centre channel without doglegging.
Speed: England showed both physical and mental speed. Whether the execution supported their intent is a moot point but there was renewed and resurgent thinking whether in defence or attack. The alacrity with which the forwards wanted to rid themselves of the ball in the contact area was supremely impassive and with a few more games spent playing this way, one can only hope for a quality of rugby shown by England in the early noughties.
Italy in Rome hasn’t been as much of an issue for England as it has been for other Six Nations side. The Rose is the only Six Nations emblem that Italy have yet to capture, and despite the Azzurri pushing France down to the wire, England travel with high hopes.
But there’s more than one party pooper in the Italian ranks now. 
The peerless Parisse, so often the greatest strength Italy has, now possesses a few like-minded individuals around him as Carlo Canna and Michele Campagnaro who are rapidly putting their markers down on the international stage.
Parisse is in a new place; at his best. He is one of the greatest players in the modern game; at his worst he becomes so impatient and frustrated he tries to do too much himself. In order to beat England he needs to give his cohorts the responsibility of running the game with him, and he must learn to trust others and not believe he has to do all himself.
Italy are playing more expansively, and so are England. The game should be close and may very well be, but there’s something in the air at Pennyhill park; call it hope or blind faith if you will, but more accurately it’s a combination of an experienced coach and eager team working together and getting close the brink of something special.
I call England by 18 points in something rather more open than the traditional Roman punch up.
Stadio Olimpico - Sunday 14 February
KO: 15:00 HT: 9-11
P: Canna (3)
T: Ford, Joseph (3), Farrell C: Farrell (3) P: Farrell (2), Ford
FOR those, including Eddie Jones, expecting a Valentine’s Day Massacre in Rome this game was a little more like the champagne you wake up to the morning after the party- flat as flat.
Yes, Italian industry thwarted English ambition for 60 minutes and the player of the match was, by some huge distance, the peerless Azzurri centre Michele Campagnaro, who showed skill and ambition beyond the comprehension of most English backs and was at the epicentre of few things good that happened on the day for the home team.
However, a raft of early Italian injuries meant that any impact came in the first quarter rather than the last, as subs were frantically deployed hither and thither. And it was telling that when England could throw new blood and light legs into the mix in the second half, the Italian bench was by that time as bare as their talismanic skipper’s head.
In looking at this game one should bear in mind that this Italian side ran France right down to the wire only 6 days previously. The combination of weary legs, injuries and not having the ability to bring on impact subs was clear to see, and, as always appears to happen, England, buoyed by compelling displays from replacements Joe Marler, Maro Itoje, Jack Clifford, Jamie George and Alex Goode, stretched far ahead of Italy in the last quarter.
What will Eddie Jones have gleaned from this weekend?
He said, pre-match, that you need to find out if people can swim before you throw them in at the deep end and that rugby is a 23 man game but it’s good to have the right batting order.
Based upon Sunday, Maro Itoje will have jumped up the scorecard, close to an opening spot. Chris Robshaw may be relegated to the ‘bitsnpieces’ all-rounders role and Joe Marler, short of runs in the first matches, showed timing and solidity in both defence and attack to oust the powerplay style of Mako Vunipola, who ironically also performs better further down the order, a game ‘finisher’ as Wallaby coach Michael Cheika likes to describe such performers.
Although Owen Farrell is looking sharp at 12, the rest of the backline vacillate between excellence and mediocrity almost minute by minute. At times, there’s a lack of shape and a tendency to crab. Anthony Watson, who looked magnificent when running hard and straight, needs to come and find more work for himself with the same hunger Jack Nowell displays. Jonathan Joseph, a hat-trick hero, almost became a two-try villain, and his selfishness in driving to complete his three tries when Watson was screaming for the ball with no defender ahead of him, will not go un-noticed.
England, with the beef of Haskell and Billy Vunipola to the fore, did great work at the breakdown; Haskell, in particular, has often been criticized for punching well below his considerable bulk, but has revelled in his enforcement and disruption role on the openside flank, despite the feeling he’s doing little more than keeping the shirt warm for that rarest of beasts, a ‘traditional’ over the ball seven. Indeed, time and time again promising English moves fell apart as the supporting forwards failed to link, pass or offload and preferred to seek the sanctity of contact, so a link man in the back row cannot come quickly enough for England.
On the other end of the spectrum, Jacques Brunel will be entirely disappointed with his side’s inability to improve.
Blessed with some cornerstones of world class players that even England can’t come close to- Campagnaro and Sergio Parisse are beacons of brilliance with Carlo Canna and Edoardo Gori improving with every game- Italy have a palpable ability to go off the boil if their big names tire.
At times, one felt for the Italian midfield; time and time again the deft hands of the skipper and his world-class centre were denied by fumbling mitts and an inability to read a pass by their team-mates. In a ten minute spell in the second half, three such telling passes ended up on the floor as the lesser gifted Azzurri players failed to react to the vision and skill of their senior players.
Both the Italian and English coaching positions are poisoned chalices, but each with a distinctly different venom. For Italy, the rumoured arrival of Harlequins’ Director of Rugby Conor O’Shea can’t come soon enough, as a new voice is needed in their multi-lingual dressing room; one that instils teamship and excellence throughout. In short, Brunel’s voice is tired and jaded and the players need something fresh.
For England and Eddie Jones, well the diminutive Australian loves his cricketing analogies and right now, he’s averaging somewhere in the late 30’s or early 40’s; creditable enough but needs more big scores to become a Test certainty.
Ireland await England and travel to Twickenham in two weeks’ time, a fortress no longer and a chariot in desperate need of a 12,000 mile service. What’s certain is there will be a huge advance in physical challenge from the men in green and that’s the one place where England have bossed their two previous opponents.
Jones will be mindful of the excellence of the Irish lineout and breakdown skills, and also of the huge threat of Robbie Henshaw in the 12 channel.
To this end, Marler, Launchbury and Itoje look certain to start in a game that’s a step up for England. Ireland, disappointing so far, will look to change things around and for the coaching purist, the battle of detail between Joe Schmidt and Eddie Jones is one to savour.
It’s a tough one to call, but England will be straining at the leash to banish the memories of the Rugby World Cup and we take England to win by nine.
Twickenham - Saturday 27 February
KO: 16:50 HT: 6-3
T: Watson, Brown C: Farrell P: Farrell (3) 
Haskell, Care
T: Murray C: Sexton P: Sexton
ROME wasn’t built in a day and nor is an elite rugby side.
But, just like the coliseum, a team needs a solid foundation and a workable blueprint in order to succeed.
Eddie Jones is about winning. Unlike his predecessor, he eschews press platitudes like nature abhors a vacuum, yet he maintains a razor sharp respect and pinpoint focus that is the envy of many.
Why? Because Eddie does his joking off the field and his winning on the pitch and expects precisely the same of his team, and that’s exactly what his young and exciting charges are doing.
Ireland are in a state of flux. Many point out that the icons of the Emerald Isle that have hung their boots up, called it a day or moved to new pastures (delete cliché as applicable). The truth of the matter is it’s easy to let go of those players provided the replacements are fit and available, and in fairness, Saturday’s result may have gone the other way had the beef of world class players such as Sean O’Brien, Peter O’Mahony and Cian Healy been fully fit.
Nevertheless, England are showing new ambition. Gone are the stodgy slow drives around the fringes. Removed are the dithering pre-planned moves that have blighted English rugby since 2004. Now we see players attacking with dancing, quick feet, accurate hands and hitting contact with depth and pace. Bolt on the power shown in contact, the speed of the push defence and the accuracy of the set piece and contact area and you’ll see that Chef Eddie is preparing a dish of mouthwatering proportions.
In just two or three matches, George Kruis and Maro Itoje have looked like one of the finest engine room combinations of recent times (and bear in mind Joe Launchbury is currently injured). Jonathan Joseph and Owen Farrell are creating havoc with their variety of pace, power and precision in the midfield, and Elliot Daly, Henry Slade and Manu Tuilagi are all eager and ready to replace them if they fail. The back row has statistically outperformed the current Welsh British Lions trio this season, and England have Nathan Hughes, Matt Kvesic, Jack Clifford and forgotten man Tom Wood yet to come. The future is rosy, in every aspect.
In a perfect rugby world, power bosses the gainline and defence; precision wins and uses the ball, and pace finishes the party off. England are showing all three qualities are not only evident but close on abundant in their game.
There are still a few questions marks though. Loosehead, despite Joe Marler’s fine game, remains an issue. At half back, both Care and Ben Youngs offer different skill sets but both have their place. George Ford too is not a nailed on cert as his old friend Owen Farrell will pressure both the 10 and 12 shirts, and with the form of Daly and Slade around, Jones may consider that Farrell might be shunted back to 10 to allow one of the Exeter starlets to shine outside.
Whilst Anthony Watson must play, the debate is wing or full back? Mike Brown’s ongoing head issues (whether they be concussion or his propensity to lose his head in battle) might mean the Bath flyer takes up his club position to allow the searing pace of Johnny May back onto the wing after injury.
On the other side, Jack Nowell is impressive in every aspect of his game bar one; outright pace. Sadly that quality is essential for an international winger and there remains questions about the Cornishman’s speed, if not his commitment, skill level and sheer desire to contribute, which are outstanding.
So, at the half way stage, Eddie Jones gets big ticks in virtually every box; a solid B grade at least.
But wait a moment; Italy, Scotland and a depleted Ireland are nothing but par for the course. Letters home are not yet required. England have not been tested yet, and under any coach in the last 40 years they should have won those matches. The real test will be Warren Gatland’s Wales; a team bristling with self belief, experience and some massive characters.
The Welsh haven’t stopped celebrating since their win at Twickenham 3 months ago, a win that is rumoured to have given Alun-Wyn Jones the freedom of Wales and has inspired Max Boyce to pen a triple album. They will arrive at HQ with a renewed hatred, intent and desire to bury their oldest of enemies deep into Twickenham’s hybrid turf and nothing and no-one will prevent them from doing their damndest to achieve that.
But, this is exactly what Eddie’s England needs. A test, a calibration of where they are and how good they can be.
Let’s look forward to the deepest and finest of rugby rivalries, England v Wales (with the backdrop of the coaches Australia v NZ affair) as this one promises to be an absolute cracker and will define so much for both teams.
Twickenham - Saturday 12 March
KO: 16:00 HT: 16-0
T: Watson C: Farrell P: Farrell (6) Cole
T: Biggar, North, Faletau C: Biggar, Priestland (2)
AFTER weekend four of the 2016 Six Nations, England could not be better placed. Four from four, an emerging style of offloading, and speed and the discovery of the Mercurial talent that is Maro Itoje; all appears to be blooming in the garden of the Rose.
A win is a win is one of the oldest sporting quips going, but England’s victories have underlined that they are showing a new ambition, a new awareness and a new understanding of the game.
Eddie Jones is streetwise. He is in the mould of Brian Moore; an abrasive yet diminutive character who bristles with aggression and talks with direct purpose. What he also has is one of the deepest appreciations of rugby that the sport has ever seen.
Eddie’s analogies are equally in fine fettle; this week he’s measured percentages up to 18,000% and has included such memorable comparisons that Itoje admitted he was forced to google a Vauxhall Viva after Eddie’s analogy, although since Saturday, he’s been officially upgraded to a BMW, which may become an M Series should England win the Grand Slam on Saturday.
If we look at the pre-match chatter before Saturday’s encounter, the general thinking was that Jamie Roberts, Jonathan Davies and George North would hit the English midfield so hard and so often that they’d be split asunder faster than you could say Max Boyce. No way could the sports car figures of George Ford, Owen Farrell and Jonathan Joseph compete with the power ridden five-litre four wheel drive off-roaders of Wales. However, Eddie saw that the Welsh lumps need momentum when running onto the ball and he simply asked his midfield to play flat under the Welsh noses, both in defence and attack.
But Jones is a serious rugby intellect. Those that have criticised George Ford for being charged down by Dan Biggar on Saturday have failed to realise that the very reason Ford was charged down was because England took a decision to stand flatter than a fag paper, thus preventing the Welsh juggernauts from getting any momentum up into the England midfield.
Indeed, this positioning allowed England to commit the defenders in midfield, get some power into their attack through carriers like Vunipola and Haskell, and then, as the defence folded around the arrow point attack, so the wide channels opened and Ben Youngs, Anthony Watson, Jack Nowell and Itoje created havoc for the entire first half.
England will, however, be worried about the last 15 minutes. If the game had last another two minutes only, not many would have backed against a Welsh win, such was the shift in the balance of power. Some have questioned fitness, but this is not the issue and by saying so, the Welsh hwyl and passion that almost brought them a win, are being totally ignored.
No, the truth is that England are not net the finished article. They have astonishing potential, a real sense of collective purpose and strategy, but as Jones said, they are still leaving 20 points or so out on the field every game.
Paris will be an interesting challenge. It’s a bleak place at the best of times and with the security measures (rightly) already reaching DEFCON3, it’ll feel like a cold war theatre battle; as attritional as the current style of the national team.
However, our Ladybird Book of Rugby Clichés suggests a) France always have a big game in them b) You don’t know which France will turn up and c) No side is more dangerous than France when they’re written off.
England can win the Slam. In fact they should. But they’ll need to maximise every single incursion into French territory and grab every single point if they’re going to win.
After all, when you assess any French side, the last measure you use is rational logic and it may just be that France arrive at their illogical, irrational best and pull off the surprise of the season.
Stade de France - Saturday 19 March
KO: 21:00 HT: 12-17
T: Care, Cole, Watson C: Farrell (2) P: Farrell (4)
P: Machenaud (7) Chiocci
ENGLAND’S 13 barren years finally bore fruit in a chilly Paris on Saturday night in a thrilling game that ebbed and flowed with the fluency of a best seller.
What a difference 3 months makes. Gone are the stuttering, clumsy cyborgs of the Lancaster era. The same players have become superhuman, empowered to have fun, to enjoy their rugby and to bond as a team.
England’s win was based largely around the brilliance of the George Kruis inspired line out. No test side can lose 35% of their own ball and survive a close match and, bluntly, France were absolutely cleaned out by the intellect of Kruis and the athleticism of Maro Itoje.
No player has summed up the change of fortune and style more than James Haskell. Formally a figure of ridicule, roundly criticised for his handling and lack of accuracy, the big man’s performance on Saturday had most of his critics back peddling, as his powerful incursions and linking defined so much that was good about England’s day.
For all Stuart Lancaster’s laudable ethics, when push came to shove the Cumbrian simply did not have the rugby intellect or IQ to drive his charges to the highest level. Eddie Jones, a man with more years under his belt than Ronnie Kray, has seen it all, and his coaching methods (and importantly, those of his cohorts Steve Borthwick and Paul Gustard) have simple transformed this side.
Looking back at the campaign three things have defined New England:
- The organisation of the push defence.
- The brilliance of contact play and line out.
- The willingness to handle through phases and attack space.
If you look at all three points, then it is unsurprising you’re seeing the blueprint that Australia have adopted for many years at the top level. One move on Saturday: Ford breaking from ruck and then every single outside back peeling around the corner off each others’ shoulders, was a play right out of the Brumbies play book.
The defence has been exceptional, and so too has England’s adaptation to that system. Again on Saturday, the French wings tried (and succeeded at times) to get around England on the wide channel. However, the presence of Farrell rushing out of the line together with the ability of the openside wing to echelon and hang back, was delightful to see.
The breakdown has improved immeasurably too. For many years we’ve heard the rattle of the ‘we need a true seven’ campaign; those very same people forgetting that in 35 years, England have only produced three world class over the ball opensides- Peter Winterbottom, Andy Robinson and Neil Back. The truth is we produce six and a halves; it’s the way European rugby is played. What is defining though, is that you are seeing the right blend of skills in the back row- the carrying of Vunipola, the disruption of Haskell and the work ethic of Robshaw.
The contact area is about all contributing, and we’ve seen epic efforts in turnover from all of the men in white, but notably Cole, Itoje and Marler. It’s incumbent upon all to perform this role in the modern era, and England are doing precisely that.
The other obvious difference is the backs are attacking space, not contact. You don’t pick a back divisions with an average weight under 15 stone and then play route one rugby. Jones, a diminutive man himself, has made a career of proving size doesn’t matter and his marshalling of the English attack and his tutoring of running the right lines has been very evident.
The calibre of Henry Slade, Elliot Daly, Manu Tuilagi and even a fit Alex Corbisiero can do nothing but strengthen a very powerful side. Young unproven talent like Josh Beaumont and Jack Clifford will get their chance, and the competition they can provide will only aid the standard within the squad.
The acid test of course is that rarest of beasts, the Southern Hemisphere scalp. It’s a moot point if England are quite at that level yet, but Eddie Jones’ cheeky little smiles whenever you mention the June trip down under confirms just how much the former Wallaby supremo is looking forward to the encounters.
It’s too early to say what the results will be, but one thing that is absolutely certain, the players will have fun on their tour, they’ll learn, and you can bet your bottom dollar they’ll return with another large stride made in pursuit of their own improvement.
