They say it used to take the great Japanese swordsmiths a year to forge their finest swords. Eddie Jones spent two and a half crafting the weapon he used to cut up the All Blacks. He had been working on it ever since they announced the draw for this World Cup back in May 2017, heating it, honing it till it had exactly the heft and sharpness it needed for this one specific job. This was the first time England had ever beaten New Zealand in a World Cup, yes, but also only eighth in over a century of Test rugby. You can count off the years: ’36, ’73, ’83, ’93, ’02, ’03, ’12, and now, the most famous of the lot, in 2019.
Till this Saturday, there were barely a hundred Englishmen who knew what it took to beat them. Jones, though, had been here before, when he was coaching Australia in 2003 and they beat them 22-10 at this very same stage. He’s always been convinced he knew how to do it. And while this wasn’t his victory, it had his fingerprints all over it. You could see them in the minutes before kick-off, when England lined up into a V formation to face the haka, Owen Farrell at the centre and his 22 teammates in rows either side, the last men in the line standing deep into New Zealand’s half. Nigel Owens asked them to step back. Joe Marler wasn’t having it.
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