Jones under attack after loss
Eddie Jones has praised the Wallabies for being a more cohesive unit under Dave Rennie but hasn’t received the same warmth from the English press or former sparring partner Clive Woodward, with the 2003 World Cupwinning England coach slamming the Australian after his side’s deflating 30-28 loss in Perth.
Despite having a one-man advantage for more than half the match, England squandered a 14-9 lead at the 64-minute mark by conceding three tries in 13 minutes. While it was England’s first loss to the Wallabies since 2015, it was Jones’ fourth straight test defeat at the helm of a team that was also embarrassed by the Barbarians a fortnight ago.
Jones and Woodward squared off against one another in the 2003 Rugby World Cup final between Australia and England, and there has been no love lost in the years since, particularly in Woodward’s Daily Mail column.
Woodward threw plenty of grenades after the defeat at the weekend, while also adding ‘‘Australia were not that good’’.
‘‘England have been on a downward spiral since the 2019 World Cup final and defeat by a 14-man Australia side in Perth did nothing to change that,’’ Woodward wrote. ‘‘That fact is clear to anyone who has a real passion for English rugby.
‘‘Selection was never his strength, but now his lack of understanding around this most important element of the England job is costing the team big time. Eddie is simply not picking the right team based on the game he needs to play to win at the top level. The game continues to move on but he has not.
‘‘It is going to be tough for them now. Eddie faces a difficult week. This was not just a bad day at the office for England, it was two-and-a-half years in the making.
‘‘The Wallabies will be tough to crack now. But, taking nothing away from a spirited backs-to-the wall victory and a great 15 minutes at the end, Australia were not that good. Even with 15 men on the field they lacked direction.’’
Woodward said he believed Jonny Hill should be banned for pulling the hair of Australian second-rower Darcy Swain. ‘‘There is also no place for pulling hair and Hill let himself down. He was yellow-carded but may be cited and banned, which I would support,’’ Woodward wrote.
In The Sunday Times, former England No 10 Stuart Barnes was just as
scathing. ‘‘They blew it,’’ Barnes wrote. ‘‘Bar the incredible impact of the bench, there are few positives to talk about. In terms of test-match rugby, this was the worst England effort of the calendar year.
‘‘England lacked the courage to go for the kill as the game neared the hour mark. Jones finds himself between the proverbial rock and hard place.’’
Daniel Schofield wrote in the Telegraph: ‘‘Ignore the two-point deficit. This was as chastening a defeat as England have suffered under Eddie Jones. [England were] shapeless in attack, porous in defence and comprehensively beaten up at the breakdown.
Jones defended the performance and lauded Australia’s improved showing after years of near-misses since the 2016 series in Australia.
‘‘We’ll be right mate. We understand what we need to do,’’ Jones said. ‘‘I don’t think we need to fire them up. We were in positions to win the game and we weren’t quite clinical.