LEAP OF FATE
Jones: Once you’re successful you then become greats, or failures.. there’s nothing in between
EDDIE JONES says his England team have a “oncein-a-lifetime” opportunity this weekend which will decide how history remembers them.
Already back-to-back Six Nations champions, England are 80 minutes from becoming just the sixth team ever to win successive Grand Slams.
Even Steve Hansen, coach of World Cup holders New Zealand, has sung their praises in the wake of their seven-try, 61-21 slaughter of Scotland.
But master motivator Jones knows danger lurks in Dublin and is already working overtime to refocus his players.
“Once you become successful you either then become a great team or you become a failure,” he warned. “There’s nothing in between. To become a great team you have to work harder, you have to be smarter, you have to do the small things well.
“You also have to be careful when All Blacks coaches compliment you.
“It’s a bit like the wolf in Red Riding Hood when it comes dressed up as the grandmother.”
Ireland were many people’s ante-post favourites, yet could end up losing to all three home nations.
Defeats to Scotland and Wales do not change the fact they beat New Zealand as recently as last October, nor that in Joe Schmidt they possess one of the coaches Jones most admires.
Irish half-backs Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton were last night passed fit to start at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, and Jones said: “Ireland will come with a lot of emotion.
“Disappointment builds aggression. We saw how Wales responded after losing to Scotland. We have got to be better than them – more aggressive, more emotional in the right way, more committed as well as smart and skilful.
“The players realise they have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity here and that we haven’t got anything to celebrate yet. It is all ahead of us.
“The chance to beat Ireland, in Ireland, to win back-to-back Grand Slams is a childhood dream for a rugby player.”
Jones insists England will be “better” than they were against Scotland. “Physically we certainly will be,” he added. “We have spent eight weeks working to be at our absolute peak this week.
“Ireland were tactically brilliant when they beat the All Blacks. They controlled the game, took away a lot of what the All Blacks like to do.
“But we’re not going to give them an opportunity to play how they did against the All Blacks.”