A loss of key players and refereeing interpretations in the Premiership have weakened Eddie Jones’s hand in the area where international rugby is won and lost
One statistic highlights why Ireland have taken over from England as the Six Nations champions and explains why Eddie Jones invited the South African referee Marius van der Westhuizen to training this week before the match against their successors on Saturday.
No team have created more rucks in this year’s Six Nations than Ireland but no side has conceded fewer penalties at the breakdown. By contrast, England have given away more than anyone and account for nearly one quarter of the total penalties awarded in the tackle area this year compared to 16 % in 2017.
Related: Cautious CJ Stander keeps Ireland’s Six Nations champagne on ice
Related: Don Armand ready to turn on England power supply against Ireland
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