As England have raised their standards to those of the southern hemisphere teams, so Wales, Ireland, France and Scotland have lifted their games and the tournament has benefited as a result
Late on Saturday night, Eddie Jones was asked whether he was planning to let his team take a break. He had just been talking about how “battered and bruised” they were feeling after another brutal match against Wales, in which Ross Moriarty in particular played with a ferocity that suggested some of the Englishmen must have done something to offend his mother. Order Moriarty to cut down a tree and he wouldn’t wait for you to hand him an axe, but set off shoulder‑first.
Anyway. Jones snorted, smiled, and shook his head. England, he said, have some hard training sessions scheduled for the next few days. But two weeks into the Six Nations, and two weeks away from the next round of matches, this is the moment for the rest of us to catch a breath. Because there has hardly been a chance to in the tournament so far.
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