EDDIE SHOWED WARREN THE WAY

HE ONLY paid a flying visit to Wellington, but in absentia Eddie Jones had a very good tour with the British and Irish Lions. Think about it. Most of the changes Warren Gatland made to correct his team after the first Test agreed with Jones’s way of thinking. Gatland initially picked Ben Te’o; Jones does not. And then he put Te’o on the bench for the second and third Tests, like Jones. Gatland played Owen Farrell at fly-half, whereas Jones prefers him at centre with more creativity at 10. After the defeat, Farrell was switched to centre and in came Johnny Sexton. And Gatland did not play Maro Itoje in the first Test, then changed his mind, acknowledging what Jones sees in English rugby’s prodigy. Gatland started off making jokes about the way Jones uses England’s players but ended up acknowledging him to get results. You can almost see that famous Jones grin from here.