Hosts reply with interest to Eddie Jones’s tough pre-match talk as sloppy England founder on an impeccable defence organised by Shaun EdwardsTo each man his own hell, and here in Paris we found out what it looks and sounds like for the 15 men in the England starting team, 17 points down while the big brass band in the north stand bangs out the Can-Can and 70,000 French fans sing along.Fair to say that when that’s what is ringing in your ears at the Stade de France, the game is probably not working out quite the way you’d hoped it would. The band struck it up midway through the first half, right after France had scored their second try. England,...
This Six Nations game was not as close as the score suggested, also thanks to Antoine Dupont’s excellence at scrum-halfAt times it was brutal to watch. Do not be fooled by England’s late rally, this was a masterclass from France, utterly unfazed by Eddie Jones’s pre-match comments. Their heroes were many: Antoine Dupont, the swashbuckling scrum-half, Charles Ollivon, the colossal captain and the irrepressible Bernard le Roux to name just three. Chapeau too to Shaun Edwards, for France’s new defence coach left an indelible mark on this match.On social media former players from both sides were lining up to laud Edwards’ impact. Serge Betsen said that we could see his “foot print” - You sense he meant fingerprints but given...
England may be the pre-tournament favourites, but France in Paris is a tricky first hurdle for Eddie Jones’s sideEngland’s World Cup seemed to be judged on the no-show in the final against South Africa, the manner in which they overwhelmed Australia and New Zealand in the previous rounds largely forgotten. They had one of the youngest teams in the tournament with Eddie Jones changing direction a year out from Japan and jettisoning some of his more seasoned players. The result was that they played with greater pace, if not invention, and at last had a complementary back row. Related: Andy Farrell at home with Ireland and prepares to lean on career mentors Related: Gregor Townsend says ‘door is open’ for...
Youth will be added for the Six Nations to a core group distracted by impending relegation at their clubEddie Jones names his England squad for the Six Nations on Monday and at least he does not have to fret about some of his Saracens contingent being torn between playing for their country and helping their club avoid relegation. It was a concern of his when the club’s 35-point deduction for breaching the Premiership’s salary cap regulations was activated two months ago but he now faces something equally unsettling. Related: Saracens to accept second 35-point deduction and effective relegation Related: Latest twist in Saracens salary cap scandal threatens a descent into pure farce | Robert Kitson Continue reading...
South Africa’s World Cup winning captain is one of six uplifting figures to receive awards from the Rugby Union Writers’ ClubIn central London on Monday night the assembled cast of almost 500 guests was a typically eclectic one. It always is at the annual Rugby Union Writers’ Club dinner, where no writing occurs and the dining can be a secondary concern. Sandwiched into the bleak no-man’s-land between Christmas and the Six Nations, flicking two defiant fingers at dry January, it is a reliable test of both character and stamina.In addition to the camaraderie this year’s list of award winners was especially uplifting. The main Pat Marshall Award for the individual who has made the greatest impact on rugby in the...