WE’VE GOT OUR MOJO BACK
But May’s victory joy can’t paper over all the cracks
ENGLAND’S player of the series called it a ‘line in the sand’. Time will tell if Jonny May is right to identify Saturday’s consolation victory here as a significant turning point, but it certainly brought relief and respite.
Eddie Jones and his squad will arrive back in London this morning armed with a result which allows them to enjoy their summer holidays free of a nagging sense of dread. They escaped it, just in time, by winning a Test — after five consecutive defeats.
May’s late try, superbly created by Danny Cipriani’s perfect diagonal kick, was his third of the tour. But that personal feat was eclipsed by the magnitude of what it meant
collectively. England needed to rediscover the lost knack of winning close encounters. They did so. Although after defeats in Johannesburg and Bloemfontein it was a dead rubber, England knew the stakes were high. They knew criticism was mounting. They knew Jones was under fire.
May savoured the spirited response. ‘I feel like the team has got its mojo back,’ he said. ‘In those last 20 minutes, it felt like the England we are used to playing for. I’m pleased we found it when we needed it — with the pressure we were under and what we have been through.
‘We were gutted with how the results went in the first two games. It doesn’t make it OK but we’re in a good place now having won that game. It’s a bit of a line in the sand. I’m confident we will be a better team come the autumn.
‘Eddie stuck to his guns and kept very composed,’ May said. ‘I’ve got a lot of respect for how he’s kept it together, because he’s been under a lot of pressure.’
Despite this vital victory, Jones has pressing issues to address. First, he has to carry out an urgent reshuffle of his coaching staff, due to the departure of Paul Gustard — who is taking charge of Harlequins — and the ongoing absence of a full-time attack coach.
A new defence guru is ‘fantastically close’ to being appointed and will start working with the players in August. As for the attack role, Jones employed fellow Australian Scott Wisemantel on this trip and his compatriot made such a positive impact that he may be offered a longer-term deal. That would go down well with the players. May described Wisemantel as ‘ brilliant’. On his watch, England did
score some good tries here. In the first two Tests, some of their attacking play was sublime, audacious and deadly. But those periods were too brief, as the pack couldn’t maintain pressure.
What changed at Newlands was that the English forwards stayed in the fight. The likes of Maro Itoje, Joe Marler, Chris Robshaw and Tom Curry rose to the occasion, to ensure they dominated the breakdown area. That in turn earned penalties and points.
But a stockpile of problems and conundrums has not suddenly been swept away.
Owen Farrell delivered a commanding performance to drive his team to victory, but he remains a novice Test captain. The fact the head coach is keeping the door ajar for Dylan Hartley to return suggests that the leadership riddle has not yet been solved. Linked
to that is that England took too long to address their disciplinary failings. They couldn’t stop the rot until the series was lost.
Also linked is the midfield selection picture. Farrell may yet emerge as the right fit at No 10, instead of inside centre. George Ford was dropped for this match and while Cipriani has fought his way back into the team, he still has ground to make up in order to become a genuine World Cup candidate.
In defiance of all the doubts, Mike Brown switched to the wing effectively, but Elliot Daly was less convincing at full back and defensive lapses undermined Henry Slade’s audition at outside centre. Jones will want to see Manu Tuilagi and Ben Te’o fit next season.
The primary shortcomings lie up front. Billy Vunipola’s injury jinx is surely spreading alarm. Jones will
agonise over whether to recall veterans such as Hartley and Dan Cole, or trust Jamie George and Kyle Sinckler to forge ahead to the World Cup. There is still a need for another mighty lock to complement various athletes.
At least there has been progress in terms of the back row. Brad Shields may soon usurp Chris Robshaw at blindside. On the other flank, Tom Curry has emerged as the openside England have been looking for since Neil Back retired. The 20-year- old’s rapid rise at this level is the best news of the tour.
That development and Saturday’s win cannot mask cracks in the facade, but another loss would have seen it crumble to dust entirely. So at least the Jones regime is still standing.