Jones targets clean sweep after England wrap up series win
EDDIE JONES ordered his players to draw inspiration from New Zealand by going for Australia’s jugular after England built an unassailable lead in their series Down Under.
A stirring 23-7 victory at AAMI Park means Jones’ Grand Slam champions will head to Sydney in pursuit of a glorious three-Test whitewash of a team that reached last autumn’s World Cup final.
England have climbed to second place in the global rankings after completing an historic series victory over one of the southern hemisphere giants — but Jones will only be satisfied by a whitewash.
‘We’re looking forward to winning the series 3-0. We came here to win the series 3-0 and that’s what we want to do on Saturday.
‘The boys started talking about it on the field and we’re committed to doing that. We want to be the best team in the world.
‘If the All Blacks were in this situation now, what would they be thinking? They’d be thinking 3-0. If we want to be the best team in the world, we have to think 3-0.’
Victory was founded on a remarkable defensive display that saw England make 169 tackles compared to Australia’s 49 as wave after wave of attacks were repelled in the second half.
The tourists, who crossed through Dylan Hartley early on, fed off scraps after the interval but as the teams fought each other to a standstill, they were able to snatch the decisive try through Owen Farrell.
‘We had to play rope-a-dope. We have to be tactically flexible in Test rugby and that’s why I’m so pleased for the team,’ Jones said.
Epitomising the commitment was a relentless display from deposed World Cup captain Chris Robshaw, who celebrated his 50th cap by winning the man of the match award.
‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team so pleased for a player to get his 50th cap... after what Robshaw has been through. We’re all pleased for him,’ Jones added.
Australia can only salvage their pride in Sydney on Saturday and head coach Michael Cheika had no complaints with the outcome at AAMI Park.
‘It feels pretty bad, pretty bad. We played a lot of footy, but that doesn’t always win you the game,’ Cheika said.
‘You have to pay credit to England, in both games they were smart. They spoilt a lot of good ball and well done to them.
‘They have seen that we are going to play a lot of footy and chosen an opposite way — and that has been victorious. We will have to take it, suck it up and use the scars later on.’ AUSTRALIA: Folau, Haylett-Petty (Morahan 70), Kuridrani, Kerevi (Lealiifano 61), Horne, Foley, Phipps (Frisby 70), Slipper (Smith 47), Moore (Polota-Nau 55), Kepu (Holmes 47), Arnold, Carter, Fardy, Hooper, McMahon. NoT USed: Mumm, McCalman. ScoReRS — Try: Moore; Con: Foley. eNGLANd: Brown, Watson (Daly 77), Joseph, Farrell, Nowell, Ford, youngs (Care 66), M. Vunipola (Mullan 66), Hartley (George 72), Cole (Hill 66), Itoje, Kruis (Lawes 56), robshaw (Launchbury 72), Haskell (Clifford 72), B. Vunipola. ScoReRS — TrIeS: Hartley, Farrell. Cons: Farrell 2. PeNS: Farrell 3. Ref: Craig Joubert (South Africa).