The England coach tried to divert attention from the tactical bafflement shown against Italy and this week’s relocation of Six Nations squad training to Oxford will see an attempt to make brains match brawn• World Rugby backs referee Poite over England v Italy ruck debateWhen Eddie Jones decided to relocate squad training to Oxford this week he was unaware how appropriate his choice would turn out to be. The old university city is full of brilliant thinkers and, boy, could England do with a mind-expanding seminar or two. Rugby will forever demand physicality but if Jones’s team wish to win another Six Nations grand slam they will need to exhibit more brainpower than they did against Italy.It was not simply...
The Six Nations champions were confounded by a legitimate plan to avoid rucks by not committing to the breakdown after tacklesBack when Eddie Jones was coaching in Japan he complained that his players spent too much time learning to play the game by rote, running through the same old drills without trying anything new. Always ready with a quote, he said that “everyone drives 10,000 hours but few of us become better drivers”.A good rugby player, Jones explained, has to be able think on his feet. “A lack of creativity,” he said, “means we have fewer players with the decision-making skills needed to win games of rugby.” Well, against England Italy showed plenty of creativity and Jones’s players were presented...
The first half at Twickenham was unconventional in the extreme and Eddie Jones may wonder when his starters are going to outperform his lauded finishersIt had the fingerprints of Brendan Venter, the Italy defence coach who was brought to Saracens by Eddie Jones in 2009, all over it – and it worked a treat. Italy’s tactic of refusing to engage in rucks after tackling their opponent meant there was no offside line when the ball came back and it baffled Jones’s team. Time and again the England players could be heard remonstrating with the referee, Romain Poite, but as he correctly and continually pointed out, that is the law. Danny Care was among the most frustrated of England’s players while...
Coach changes players from a tea-and-scones approach to sharp right to the end, which has helped extend the unbeaten run into the Six NationsWhen hearing Eddie Jones explain that England’s ability to win matches in the last 20 minutes was down to the training method of “tactical periodisation” it was hard not to be reminded of Clive Woodward’s T-Cup (Thinking Correctly Under Pressure) mantra, not least because of how Jones measures the method’s success. “We have parameters for how quickly they get off the ground,” he said. “I think some of the blokes used to have a cup of tea and a scone with jam and cream before they got off the ground. It was terrible.” Related: James Haskell: being...
England have harnessed the power of their squad as they close on the All Blacks record and it may come down to Scotland to halt their grand slam chargeEddie Jones will soon have a bigger record collection than the late John Peel. If England beat Italy at Twickenham next Sunday, and it is all but a case of when, it would be their 10th consecutive Six Nations victory and would equal the longest winning run in the tournament’s 134-year history.The Tasmanian has added devil to England since taking over as head coach 14 months ago but the transformation from World Cup laughing stock to a side that are two home wins away from equalling New Zealand’s record of 18 successive...