WAYNE’S WORLD OFF AXIS
WAYNE PIVAC was always risking a potential David Moyes situation with Wales when he succeeded Warren Gatland and the Kiwi’s tenure is in danger of working out that way.
Just as Moyes was doomed at Manchester United following Sir Alex Ferguson, the new Wales coach is already being beaten with the ‘Gatland’ stick just four matches into his reign. If Wales lose to England on Saturday, it will be their third successive loss – their worst sequence of defeats in the Six Nations since 2007.
Captain Alun Wyn Jones is doing his best to deflect it, but the comparison is as uncomfortable as it is inevitable.
“Warren had 12 years to establish himself and everyone was used to what he
BEN YOUNGS is being made to sweat on reaching his century of England caps by the deadly coronavirus outbreak causing such alarm around the world.
Eddie Jones’s senior player is two appearances short of his ton and will pick up one of those against Wales on Saturday assuming he is fit.
But there is a real danger he will then be marooned on 99
– England’s game in
Rome the following week is now looking unlikely to go ahead as Italy is Europe’s worst-affected country so far.
With Jones then not planning to involve his World Cup stars in England’s two-Test tour to Japan in July, Youngs could be left with an anxious wait until autumn to be enrolled in the 100 Club.
The Leicester star admitted: “There are plenty of people who have got near the 100 and something’s got in the way.
“I was speaking to Cian Healy after the Ireland game. He’s injured and out for the remainder of this championship on 98.
“I’ll take it week by week. The was about and what he did,” said Jones. “The comparison is a tough one, unfair from the coaching point of view, but, as players, you do not want to think about losing a third game in a row.
“The pressure’s on. The performances, in patches, have been pleasing, but only to a point. It is only pleasing when you win.
“I take my responsibility for my performance as an coronavirus is a hot topic across the world, isn’t it, so we’ll see how it plays out.”
Youngs, 30, hit three figures of a sort last Sunday when he added England cap number 98 to his two Tests with the British and Irish Lions. Asked if he celebrated that, he said: “I didn’t, to be honest. I’m obviously aware of it but it would be nice to do it just for England.” Concern over the virus has grown with Friday’s announcement of the first person to be infected on UK soil – and in Japan of the first UK citizen to die after catching it on the cruise ship Diamond Princess.
Ireland’s home game against Italy on March 7 has been postponed, but English rugby’s chiefs say their position is unchanged from Wednesday when Six Nations organisers declared “all other matches are scheduled to go ahead as normal”.
The Italian sports minister will review coronavirus restrictions today, with further Six Nations reviews set for Paris this week.
England must assume Alun Wyn Jones and his Wales team are Twickenham-bound on Saturday – and aim to repeat the tour de force which floored Ireland.