Jones sets high benchmark ...but this was sub standard
FORWARD HITS TWO GOALS AND THEN WARNS RIVALS THERE’S MORE TO COME
THE bench has been a constant talking point in Eddie Jones’s time as England coach.
Jones is careful with his language around the bench. He renamed his replacements as “finishers”, and talks often about how it is a 23-man game. If it was up to him, he has said, he would not just name the 23 players involved on the matchday, but not detail when or where they are lining up.
So when a player is left out of the starting XV, Jones will say there has been a “change of order”, and that said player “has a different role”. Under his rules, you can be dropped from the 23, but not the XV. The players are broadly on board with all this, although it is never terribly convincing when one claims to be as happy on the bench as he is starting.
Jones’s bench often betrays how he wants his team to play. He has used it to blood young players, and implement succession planning. At England’s strongest, their bench is an intimidating display of the broadest talent pool in the game. They have shored up dominant displays and helped secure victories.
On Saturday, Jones’s bench did not have the formidable look it sometimes does. His team’s depth is being tested by injury (and his own selection whims), but enough class and experience remained. But he barely gave them an opportunity.
Two of the eight, Will Stuart and the uncapped 19-year-old George Martin, did not make it on. The overlooking of Martin felt wasteful, given a game-changing back — remember Ollie Lawrence? — could have filled that jersey.
By the time, after 62 minutes, England scrapped their way back to 24-24, Charlie Ewels had been on for five minutes and Luke Cowan-Dickie two. Ellis Genge would get a 13-minute run. Ben Earl and Dan Robson got 10, Max Malins five. None of those three, by the way, have started a Test yet. Earl is 11 matches into his Test career and — with Sam Underhill, Jack Willis and Courtney Lawes injured — this game might have been the perfect chance for that to change.
There were reasons for the delay. Many of England’s starters put in improved displays, particularly in attack.
Billy Vunipola marauded around, Henry Slade was actually given the ball. Owen Farrell attacked the line (but must bear responsibility for his team’s ill-discipline). Elliot Daly’s sparkle returned (but he coughed up ball and switched off for Kieran Hardy’s try). But the contrast with Wales was stark. Wayne Pivac refreshed his front-runners, making his seventh change — despite his replacements being inexperienced — as Jones made his third.
Callum Sheedy was on early in the second half, and put in a sublime show — breaking the line, intercepting, and kicking well from hand and tee. Willis Halaholo was on soon after, punching holes in attack and solid in defence. Cory Hill scored the late try to cap a showing from the replacements that did not let up what the starters had set in motion.
When England’s bench finally got a go, they appeared to overreach to contribute. Ewels, Genge and Robson gave away penalties that helped Wales take the lead, while Robson threw the intercept that led to Hill’s try. It all contributed to a final-quarter display that, after so much hard work, cost England the game.
Tottenham 4
Bale 2, 55, Kane 15, Moura 31
Burnley 0
GARETH BALE has warned Tottenham’s domestic and European rivals he is still working his way towards full fitness, despite rolling back the years in yesterday’s 4-0 win over Burnley.
Bale scored twice, including a trademark left-footed stunner, as Spurs returned to form with a bang to move within six points of fourth-placed West Ham, with a game in hand.
The Welshman opened the scoring for Jose Mourinho’s side after just 70 seconds and had a hand in first-half goals for Harry Kane and Lucas Moura before a brilliant curling strike to kill the game.
Bale’s return to Spurs on loan from Real Madrid has been coloured by doubts and disagreements over his fitness and he has faced criticism over his performances, with Mourinho occasionally appearing frustrated by the 31-year-old’s condition.
Asked if he was back to his best, Bale said: “I’m building — it’s taken a while — but I’m happy, I’m growing in confidence, my fitness is getting better and I think you could see that in my performance. It’s is understandable, it’s been a while, so I just continue to work hard. I know you get criticism, but I am experienced enough to keep my head down, not say anything stupid and keep plugging away.
“I’ve been happy all season. In the dressing room I feel comfortable and I’m having fun. I’m happy and I’m sure it’s showing on the pitch.”
The emphatic win over the Clarets followed a dismal run of five defeats from six League matches, relieving the pressure on Mourinho and boosting the club’s European hopes.
Spurs face derbies against struggling Fulham and Crystal Palace this week before returning to Europa League action against Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday week, with Bale hoping yesterday’s performance can be a springboard for a winning run.
“We have the talent, we have the players to score a lot of goals,” he said. “It was nice to get four as a team, another clean sheet was very important. We keep building, we keep growing in confidence and, hopefully, this is the start of something good now. In football, you don’t always get what you put in, some performances have been good [but] maybe we haven’t won. It’s important to build on this game and look forward.”
Mourinho described Bale as “better than ever”, but insisted he would have to keep carefully managing his minutes after replacing him on 70 minutes yesterday. “There is not one single manager in the world that doesn’t play Gareth Bale
if Gareth Bale is in very good condition,” he said in a possible nod to Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane. “There is not one, but now he is better than ever.
“It’s not just about the two goals he scored, it’s fundamentally about his physical performance. Now he’s not flat. Now he has ups and downs in the speed he brings to his actions. Of course I want to play him on Thursday and on Sunday, and I want to play him next week against Dinamo Zagreb, but I don’t think I can.”
Meanwhile, Tottenham’s Europa League round-of-16 tie against Zagreb is expected to be reversed to avoid a clash with neighbours Arsenal, in a possible boost for Mourinho’s side.
Spurs and Arsenal, who face Greek side Olympiacos in the last-16, are both due to play the first leg away on March 11 and the second leg at home a week later, with the north London derby at the Emirates Stadium sandwiched in between on Sunday, March 14.
As domestic cup winners, Arsenal’s tie takes priority, so Tottenham’s fixture is likely to be reversed, leaving them without a trip overseas ahead of the potentially pivotal derby.
UEFA are also liaising with European governments on Covid restrictions, which could force ties to be moved to neutral venues.