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 need to learn how to adapt after two defeats that have raised interest in the Six Nations, and further admiration of Ireland, in All Black countryMaybe the Eddie Jones factor plays a part – the old mate from across the Tasman Sea – but whenever England lose it creates a ripple in New Zealand. I’ve been back there for the past 10 days and there is no doubt the country’s media has jumped on it. The Six Nations is not exactly headline news over there but what strikes New Zealanders most is just how competitive it is. With Scotland a lot stronger now, Wales playing a new brand of rugby, Ireland very comfortable in what they are doing and...
France must not get carried after beating England, while Ireland will need to bolster their defence at TwickenhamWhen the post-match debate centres on whether England were poorer in Murrayfield or Paris, there is definitely trouble at mill. They never looked remotely likely to score the four tries required to retain a mathematical interest in the Six Nations title race and it would have been distinctly rough justice on France had the visitors sneaked home late on in Saint Denis. One or two England players felt afterwards they might have received a penalty for French defenders going off their feet at the final ruck under the posts; it would still not have erased the horrors of the previous 79 minutes. In...
Maro Itoje is not looking his freshest in the Six Nations and Mako Vunipola has also gone quiet after the exacting tour to New ZealandOne of the most interesting sequences in sport is threatening to repeat itself yet again. Every four years, during the Six (or Five) Nations season immediately following a British and Irish Lions tour, it is as if lead weights have been attached to the legs of one nation and restorative oxygen pumped into the dressing-rooms of the rest.Spot the common theme in the following list of champions in post-Lions years since the late 1960s: France, Wales, no winner, Wales, Wales, France, Scotland, Scotland, Wales, France, France, France, France, Ireland. It is necessary to spool back 55...
Can anyone unseat Ireland at the top? Who will make the difference in the final two rounds? And can Italy win a game?Ireland will claim a first Six Nations title since 2015 if they achieve a bonus-point victory over Scotland and England fail to do so in Paris. There was certainly an element of fortune to their victory against France but, as seen in recent years, away wins anywhere but Rome are at a premium – and they followed it up with an emphatic win over Italy and a powerful performance against Wales. Andy Farrell will not be happy with the six tries conceded in those matches but perhaps the most impressive thing about Ireland is how they have coped...