England’s Six Nations late shows prove strength in depth is irreplaceable | Gerard Meagher

Feb 14, 2017

Under Eddie Jones England have scored a remarkable 83 more points than their opponents in the last 20 minutes thanks in no small part to their talents on the bench

If it sounds contradictory when Eddie Jones says England have no world-class players but the best replacements bench in the world, the first two weekends of the Six Nations would appear to support such a claim. England were behind with 10 minutes remaining against France and Wales but on both occasions Jones’s “finishers” ensured the record-breaking winning streak continued.

Measuring the impact of these finishers however is not an exact science. The ledger records Ben Te’o’s try against France but not the added oomph James Haskell brought to the back row against Wales. Instead, statisticians would record the penalty Haskell conceded to allow Wales to restore a five-point lead, but not that in preventing a possible try he kept England within touching distance.

Tags: Eddie Jones England rugby union team Rugby union Six Nations Six Nations 2017 Sport