To parachute the New Zealand-born forward into the England squad sight unseen recalls the unsatisfactory precedents of Ireland’s Michael Bent and Scotland’s Brendan LaneyThe story of Brad Shields is a tale of everyday modern professional sport. Born in Masterton, on North Island, the back-row forward has played all his rugby in New Zealand, represented the Junior All Blacks in 2011 against an England Under-20 side containing Owen Farrell, George Ford, Elliot Daly and Mako Vunipola and is the captain of the Hurricanes. Now, on the basis of his English parentage, he wants to be part of England’s touring squad to South Africa in June.We should wish him good luck, clearly, as he seeks to become a capped England international. He...
England head coach may have compromised his Lions future with his ill-judged, unfunny remarks about Ireland and WalesIt is just under two months since Eddie Jones signed a two-year contract extension as the England head coach until 2021. His team had won 23 from 24 Tests and everything in the Twickenham garden was spectacularly rosy. “I’m enjoying it,” he said, reflecting on his first two years at the helm. “But as we know in sport things can change very quickly.”Just how swiftly has been underlined at England’s team hotel this week. Successive defeats by Scotland and France and Jones’s unfunny attempted “jokes” about Ireland and Wales have transformed the mood. Related: Eddie Jones’ extended deal shows the RFU grasping succession planning...
England’s last World Cup campaign foundered after George Ford was dropped and they need an uplift in performances to stop next year’s one heading the same way“There’s always that question there,” Eddie Jones reflected during the January launch of the Six Nations. He was talking about Ireland, citing them as the favourites to win the tournament and describing the pressure that fertilises expectation and attention.The question was whether Joe Schmidt’s side would be able to handle it, and six weeks on the championship is panning out in the way Jones laid out: predicted is the wrong word because England’s coach hardly conceded the title before a ball had been kicked and his dismissal of Scotland as “big darlings” who get...
Not for the first time, England’s coach has targeted an opposition No 10 before a big Six Nations match, adding further spice to what is set to be a fiery occasionWhen Wales head for Twickenham the odds on a passive, entirely silent pre-match buildup usually range between slim and none. This year has proved no exception and calculated references by Eddie Jones to the “cocky” Welsh and the torrid welcome awaiting the visiting fly-half Rhys Patchell have added further kerosene to the already combustible Six Nations contest on Saturday.If Jones’s pointed analysis is any indicator, a red-hot encounter is all but guaranteed with Patchell a particular target for attention. The Scarlets’ fly-half has been wonderfully influential for both region and...
Orderly change has rarely been Twickenham’s strong point but with the Australian staying until 2021 the union has a clear post-World Cup planThe marriage between Mr Edward Jones of Sydney and English rugby has been so formidably successful that the surprise renewal of vows was easy to understand. Short of slipping a ring on Jones’s finger and wheeling in a cake, the Rugby Football Union could not be more delighted to be snuggling up to its favourite Australian for two further years beyond 2019, even at the cost of forsaking all others. Related: Eddie Jones signs contract extension as England coach until 2021 Related: Eddie Jones: ‘I want England to be the best. You should never be satisfied’ Continue reading...