KNIVES IN MY BACK? I LOVE IT

Defiant Jones hits back at critics of losing streak

DEFIANT Eddie Jones says he is “absolutely loving” pulling knives out of his own back.

England are on their worst losing run since 2006 – a period Owen Farrell describes as the “toughest” of his international career.

They have again lost talisman Billy Vunipola to a broken arm - a massive setback according to his Springbok opposite number Duane Vermeulen.

And pressure on Jones (left) is so great Rugby Football Union bosses have felt the need to issue a statement publicly backing him.

But rather than lie low the straight-talking Aussie confronted his critics yesterday on the shores of the Indian Ocean (below).

Jones said: “When you are doing well everyone pats you on the back, when you are not you’re pulling knives out of your back.

“If you coach for a long time you have your good periods and bad ones. These are the great periods.

“These are the periods you look forward to, where everyone thinks you’re done and you have to find a way to win. I’m enjoying it, absolutely loving it.”

Nobody else is. Farrell, his team captain, spoke of “disappointment and frustration” and of “the rut we got ourselves in again”.

He also said that when the pressure had come on in big moments of recent games “we have not been as clear as we should have been”.

This hints at confusion, muddled thinking, perhaps mixed messages.

Yet Jones stood full square behind his coaching methods, conceding only England’s leadership had gone backwards since concussion sidelined skipper Dylan Hartley in March.

“Dylan gave us a lot of stability at the top,” said the Australian. “Have we gone backwards? Of course we have, because we’ve started a new team.

“Look, when everything is running well, it’s easy. You’ve got your team humming, you’re winning games you shouldn’t. You get 50/50 decisions, everyone’s available.

“The hard part – the fascinating period – is when you’ve got injuries, you’re not getting those 50-50s and there’s noise around.

“That’s where you find your worth and what players in your team can really stand up to pressure.”

And if it doesn’t come right, if these six straight defeats become nine, with two more games against South Africa and one with New Zealand to come. What then? “The only thing I can do is coach well,” Jones replied. “Anything else, I don’t control.

“If someone decides that’s not good enough, then they decide.

“If someone decides I’m good enough then I will keep coaching.”

CHRIS ASHTON has been linked with a move back to the Premiership with Sale after Toulon signed All Blacks wing Julian Savea.