PAYBOK TIME

Jones: Everyone’s saying we’re no good.. we must prove ’em wrong

ENGLAND play South Africa today, but for Eddie Jones it is us against the world.

“Everyone’s bagging us, everyone’s saying we can’t win,” said the boss of a team which has not won since February.

“From ex-players to excoaches, they are saying we’re no good. This is a great opportunity for us to show we are of value.” The England team has lost four on the spin, if you include their hefty non-cap beating by the Barbarians a fortnight ago.

They have won only once anywhere against the Springboks in 13 Tests since 2006 and their sole victory at Ellis Park came 46 years ago.

Jones relishes the “us-againstthe-world” mentality fostered in the Red Rose camp. “That’s why you are involved, mate.” He also concedes that England “got tactically, physically and mentally tired” during the Six Nations campaign.

They suffered successive losses to Scotland, France and Ireland. But he reckons he has worked out what went wrong and says South Africa will face a very different England today.

“We got tired for a number of reasons,” Jones said. “But we’ve all had a break, had a look at where we want to go tactically and how we prepare.”

The Boks bring huge emotion to the contest, led by Siya Kolisi, their first-ever black captain, wearing the No.6 jersey immortalised at the 1995 World Cup by Nelson Mandela.

“His selection will lift the country,” Jones added. “I experienced that with Mandela’s 80th birthday [when Australia were beaten in 2005]. I hope it isn’t Kolisi’s birthday.”