Do not be fooled by the late tries when Australia had the game won, there were no obvious signs of progress from EnglandYou have to wonder what might happen to England the next time their opponents keep 15 men on the field. For the second match running they were outclassed, outfought and out-thought by opposition who had a player sent off. If there was a degree of mitigation against the Barbarians, this was a troubling first defeat by Australia in nine matches and the first under Eddie Jones, who now comes under intense scrutiny. Positives for England are limited to Henry Arundell’s mesmeric late cameo on his debut and the fact that Australia did not backheel any conversions.The laws will...
To succeed in Australia as they did last time, the tourists will have to bully the hosts and not be distracted by the World CupOne by one the traditional pillars of shared Anglo-Australian culture are slipping away. Dame Edna Everage has long since hung up her frocks and the final episode of Neighbours is due to be aired on 1 August. Almost the last of the old-school entertainers still working the room is Eddie Jones, back on familiar soil and as keen as ever to enjoy his farewell Test series as England’s head coach.With no July tours scheduled next year before the Rugby World Cup and every chance of one-off, home-and-away Tests in a Nations League format becoming the future...
Eddie Jones has recalled three stalwarts for a tour of Australia with no sign of any momentum in their World Cup buildupWelcome to The Breakdown, the Guardian’s weekly (and free) rugby union newsletter. Here’s an extract from this week’s edition. To receive the full version every Tuesday, just pop your email in below:This was meant to be the week when English rugby union shifted the narrative. For all involved – players, coaches, even the media – the upcoming tour of Australia has been shimmering on the horizon like an oasis in the outback, offering a chance to look forward rather than endlessly back. It was also a prime opportunity to select a few fresh players with one eye on the...
Bill Sweeney did his best to sell the official RFU vision of England but his media briefing ignored all the warning signalsIf you squinted hard enough into the sunshine at Twickenham on Thursday you could almost see them. The sunlit uplands and, just beyond, the promised land of 2023 Rugby World Cup glory. But that’s the problem with mirages. You end up seeing what you want to see rather than the flashing amber warning signals seemingly visible to everyone except the Rugby Football Union.In his first media briefing for 12 months – if he craves the spotlight he hides it well – the RFU’s chief executive, Bill Sweeney, at least did his best to sell the official vision. All the...
The RFU keeping the head coach is allowing France and Ireland to kick on past ‘new England’, as the Six Nations showedJust occasionally in sport the scoreboard becomes a side issue. For everyone in Paris on Saturday night, particularly those from across the Channel, what will really stick in the mind is the overriding post-match mood of genuine Gallic excitement. As France’s euphoric supporters celebrated their team’s deserved grand slam it was hard not to envisage many more champagne moments ahead.It was also a tantalising amuse bouche for what awaits when France host next year’s World Cup. Gazing into the future is never an exact science but Les Bleus appear to have an impressive number of bases covered. A young...