Jones blasts ‘cocky’ Wales
Eddie Jones has fanned the flames ahead of Sunday’s Six
Nations game between England and
Wales at Twickenham by accusing
Alun Wyn Jones, the Wales captain of intimidating tactics that bring the game into disrepute.
The England head coach upbraided
Jones for getting in the face of referee Pascal Gauzere during last week’s match against Scotland.
He also questioned whether Wales first-five eighth Rhys Patchell has the temperament to handle a high-octane occasion and being targeted by a strong-arm England defence.
From a muted opening gambit on Sunday to a decibelbusting broadside, the Australian has raised the stakes dramatically, labelling Wales “cocky”.
In the absence of Sam Warburton, Wyn Jones has stepped up to the captaincy, a multi-layered role these days.
The Ospreys lock is one of the most experienced and most respected figures in the game, three times a Lions tourist with nine caps as well as 114 appearances for his country, yet the England head coach is adamant that the second-row forward crossed a line last weekend.
Part of the captaincy remit is to have a dialogue with the referee, but Jones insists that the Wales captain took it too far when challenging Gauzere over the 78th-minute try scored by Peter Horne.
Scotland first-five Finn Russell was aware that there might have been a marginal infringement so rushed to take the conversion, only for the Wales lock to stride toward Gauzere and, effectively, block the kick. Another Frenchman, Jerome Garces, is in charge at Twickenham.
“Garces is a very experienced referee and he won’t let Alun Wyn Jones intimidate him,” said the England head coach. “I thought that was right out of order last week. When he tried to stop the referee from allowing the kick at goal, we can’t have that in the game.
15 Mike Brown, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Jonny May, 10 George Ford, 9 Danny Care, 8 Sam Simmonds, 7 Chris Robshaw, 6 Courtney Lawes, 5 Maro Itoje, 4 Joe Launchbury, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Dylan Hartley, 1 Mako Vunipola
Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Alec Hepburn, 18 Harry Williams, 19 George Kruis, 20 Sam Underhill, 21 Richard Wigglesworth, 22 Ben Te’o, 23 Jack Nowell. Planet Rugby