Don’t become weak, England
Jones warns team to ignore lavish praise
Chris Foy
ENGLAND are wary of being killed with kindness this week and Eddie Jones has warned his players they will not keep their places if they show any signs of believing the hype around them.
The national coach named a match-day 23 featuring only one change – Teimana Harrison at openside in place of the injured James Haskell – from the victory in Melbourne last week which clinched a series win over Australia.
The tourists are being swamped by acclaim for their sequence of eight victories in as many matches under the new regime, and Jones regards it as a scenario which could rapidly undermine their staggering revival.
“When you’ve had a couple of wins, praise can make you weak,” he said. “We’ve got to be very careful that all the praise we’re getting doesn’t make us weak. If you become weak once, you can become weak twice, and to be a champion team you can’t be like that.
“Outside praise is dangerous for a team and they’ve been getting a lot of it. We’ve just got to be careful. It comes from everywhere – Twitter, Facebook, television, newspapers, everywhere.
“It comes down to the mental strength and desire of the player to want to be part of the England side. If they allow themselves to become weak through praise, or allow themselves to think what people are saying is true, they won’t be in the team.”
Players interacting on social media presents a challenge in this regard, as England captain Dylan Hartley acknowledged. “We can’t control how long the boys spend on their phones, because everyone is on them these days,” he said.
“I said after game one in Brisbane that we had to park the egos. You guys write nice things. Friends, family, your extended network all want to say how good you are – it’s just inflating your ego and it can blind you.”
England’s victory in Melbourne last weekend was founded on supreme defensive commitment, and Wallabies head coach Michael Cheika yesterday took a swipe at the tourists’ pragmatic approach.
“Maybe now they’ve won the series, they’ll open up a bit more,” he said. “Teams that I think are dull throw it around a bit more because they’ve won the series. They’ll be a bit freer, I suppose. Eddie and me play different footy. We are not set up to play kick-and-chase footy. We play running rugby.”
Jones swiftly returned fire, saying: “We play winning rugby. That’s what keeps the fans excited. Whatever way we need to win, we will win.
“If we need to kick the ball, we will kick it. If we need to run the ball we will run. If we need to pass, we will pass. People want to see good rugby. If you are kicking with a purpose, that is as attractive as running or passing with a purpose. That’s why we’ve got three modes of being able to move the ball.” MASTERMINDS:
Jones appears to sense that his England squad are in the right emotional state to deliver the intensity required to secure a 3-0 series win.
He was still fired up by the hostility they had faced Down Under, saying: “When we came to Australia, they tried to humiliate us – the Fox Sports promo and various sorts of things. They said it was a joke that we even considered winning the series. Every prediction, all the smart guys in the papers were saying 3-0. Now they’re not so smart.”
He described Harrison, who will win his second cap, as a “street fighter” capable of making a powerful impact at openside.
The Northampton backrower was among the contingent of players who had not played any part in the series but now that group is down to five: Alex Goode, Henry Slade, Ellis Genge, Kyle Sinckler and Ben Te’o.
Jones does not allow sentiment to influence selection or his handling of players unable to break into the match-day squad. “I’ve always been of the opinion you should earn your cap,” he said.
“There are no free caps in the England side. Just because we have won the series 2-0, it doesn’t mean they deserve a cap. They have to work hard to beat the person in front of them.” – Daily Mail