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...
The idea of a five-week tournament has been backed by Clive Woodward but the likely outcome would be to lower a level of competition that is currently soaringScotland will welcome a rest this weekend after their gruelling encounter against France in Paris, during which four players sustained concussion and Greig Laidlaw limped off after 24 minutes with an ankle injury that ended his Six Nations Championship. Three others had to be replaced because of injuries – so what shape would the side be in were the third round taking place this week, as has been suggested during the debate on the global calendar?The Scots would have six days to prepare for Wales, who themselves had a short turnaround for last...
Under Eddie Jones England have scored a remarkable 83 more points than their opponents in the last 20 minutes thanks in no small part to their talents on the benchIf it sounds contradictory when Eddie Jones says England have no world-class players but the best replacements bench in the world, the first two weekends of the Six Nations would appear to support such a claim. England were behind with 10 minutes remaining against France and Wales but on both occasions Jones’s “finishers” ensured the record-breaking winning streak continued.Measuring the impact of these finishers however is not an exact science. The ledger records Ben Te’o’s try against France but not the added oomph James Haskell brought to the back row against...
As England have raised their standards to those of the southern hemisphere teams, so Wales, Ireland, France and Scotland have lifted their games and the tournament has benefited as a resultLate on Saturday night, Eddie Jones was asked whether he was planning to let his team take a break. He had just been talking about how “battered and bruised” they were feeling after another brutal match against Wales, in which Ross Moriarty in particular played with a ferocity that suggested some of the Englishmen must have done something to offend his mother. Order Moriarty to cut down a tree and he wouldn’t wait for you to hand him an axe, but set off shoulder‑first.Anyway. Jones snorted, smiled, and shook his...
After his side snatch a 21-16 win over Wales, England’s coach admits adopting Spanish practices used by Portuguese manager in bid to catch up All BlacksThis year’s Six Nations has yet to reach the halfway mark but already the old tournament has a renewed sense of verve. When a game matches the occasion in Cardiff there is no finer place in the world to watch rugby union, even if the lurching late twist in England’s favour made it a bittersweet Welsh symphony.Carry on like this and rugby will migrate from the back pages to the front as it did a decade and a half ago, scooping up numerous agnostics en route. Great sport played out before a glorious backdrop still has...