Jones aware England must raise their game against Australia
England coach Eddie Jones yesterday delivered a staunch defence of his side’s display against Argentina last week but accepted they faced a stiffer challenge against Australia tomorrow after making three changes to his team.
England failed to spark as they laboured to a 21-8 victory over the Pumas in a flat opening to their Autumn series.
Tomorrow, Owen Farrell, Jonny May and Joe Launchbury return to the starting side, with Anthony Watson switching to full-back and returning lock Maro Itoje named among the replacements.
After announcing his team, Jones bristled at suggestions that his 20th win from 21 games in charge had not been up to scratch.
“It seems like, since we had an ‘ordinary game’ against Argentina the whole place has exploded, and I don’t think it’s like that,” Jones said while addressing the media.
“I know you guys like to make it like that, but it’s not like that. We had a good win last week and we are looking forward to playing better this week.”
Farrell and Itoje were rested last week as part of Jones’s long-term plan to keep his squad healthy for the 2019 World Cup and the return of the former at inside centre is likely to ensure no repeat of the long periods last week where virtually nothing happened.
“He’s a great competitor and... one of the things we are going to have to do against Australia on the weekend is really compete for every ball, at every contest,” Jones said.
“There’s no one better at that than Owen. He’s a very experienced international player, a good defender, a good communicator in attack.”
Despite Jones’s protestations of the performance against Argentina, England will need to be much sharper against an Australia team who have won five of their last six games, with the other one being a draw.
However, they have lost their past four against England.
“Of the team we played last year, probably six or seven of those players were there and they’ll have a bit of an itch in the back of their head,” Jones said in reference to England’s 3-0 away series win in 2016.
“They are probably the form team in the world at the moment so we expect a very, very tough game.”
It seems like, since we had an ‘ordinary game’ against Argentina the whole place has exploded. I don’t think it’s like that EDDIE JONES England coach