The England coach will have the World Cup in mind as he chases a third straight Six Nations title and his selections of Dylan Hartley and James Haskell reflect his belief in leadership and experienceBefore Eddie Jones’s England players returned to their clubs after the final autumn international, against Samoa on 25 November, the head coach said he expected them in the following eight weeks to show their desire to be part of a World Cup-winning team in 2019 by producing world-class form. However, few of the 31 who gathered in Brighton at the start of last week for a training camp before the Six Nations have stood out in the seven rounds of league and European matches since then,...
Finding a successor to the World Rugby Coach of the Year in 2019 is already concentrating minds at Twickenham and the search may lead to the PremiershipThe choice of Eddie Jones as World Rugby Coach of the Year was hardly the most startling news ever to emerge from Monte Carlo. Like a race leader at the Monaco Grand Prix, opportunities to overtake his England side have been few this calendar year, with only Ireland doing so back in March. England still lifted the Six Nations title for the second successive year and under Jones have won 22 of their 23 games. Related: Eddie Jones gives chaos a whirl to keep England on their toes for autumn Tests Related: Scotland flowering...
Everybody has felt the pace in the autumn internationals but Australia, South Africa and Argentina look pale imitations of the sides who reached the World Cup semi-finals in England two years agoEngland and Ireland both won their three matches but their campaigns, without the lustre of facing New Zealand, were a touch underwhelming as they were rarely extended in confirming their places in the world rankings. Scotland were arguably the team of the month, pipping Samoa in an anarchic thriller to start before taking the game to New Zealand, denied by Beauden Barrett’s try-saving tackle in the final minute. They finished by achieving the double over Australia following the victory in Sydney in June. They were aided by Sekope Kepu’s...
All Blacks’ style of skill and pace, a trend enthusiastically embraced by Scotland in autumn internationals, points way forward for England, Ireland and Walesthose who assume this has been just another routine autumn of Test rugby have not been paying sufficient attention. France failing to beat Japan at home, Scotland sticking 53 points on Australia, Ireland hammering South Africa 38-3, Romania defeating Samoa … not only have there been some eye-catching results but it has proved a difficult November for defence coaches.Scotland’s three home fixtures against Samoa, New Zealand and Australia produced 28 tries, 16 of them for the home side. The All Blacks, in scoring five tries to two in a frantic game in Cardiff, burst through the 500-point...
With one international to go this autumn New Zealand and Scotland will be delighted, while Australia’s tour nosedived and South Africa are in a sorry stateThey have definitely got a rock under their towels when it comes to their holidays now. The red card against Scotland did make a difference but, as New Zealand showed against the Lions, you can make yourselves difficult to beat when that is the case. Australia’s autumn has been a mixed bag. It started off with an impressive win in Cardiff and things could have panned out a bit differently against England, but then they were thrashed in Scotland. The thing for Australia is that they need their strongest XV against the big boys or...