Jones backs effort over value

ENGLAND coach Eddie Jones offered a robust defence of his players after being asked whether England’s ugly victory over Argentina offered fans value for money.

The Pumas were defeated 21-8 in a start to the autumn schedule at Twickenham described as a “grindathon” by Jones, whose anger was evident during the match.

Tickets for the match available for public sale ranged in price from £40 to £110 and when asked how he would have felt had he paid the higher amount to watch the game, Jones hit back: “We gave 100 per cent effort. I don’t understand the question. You’d have to answer that (if it was value for money), not me. I am not a columnist, I am not a businessman. All I do is coach a rugby team.

“I try to get them to play as hard as we can. We played hard. We might not have played well, but we played hard. I am disappointed in the question.

“I thought most of the guys did pretty well, we just didn’t play well as a team. I am disappointed if you thought we didn’t try hard, really disappointed. Because we tried hard.