Eddie’s boys blow big lead LOSERS!
RUGBY UNION Boozed-up Bok fans add insult to injury for England boss Jones
EDDIE JONES had to be pulled away from gloating Springbok fans as England’s worst losing run for four years continued at Ellis Park.
The Red Rose boss saw his team cough up a 21-point lead to lose a thriller in the first of three Tests with South Africa.
And at the final whistle boozedup fans in a 56,000 crowd leaned over the railings and verbally insulted him as he headed down the tunnel.
The Australian stood his ground for up to 15 seconds before players and staff came and ushered him away.
Whine
Jones chose wine to whine when quizzed on the altercation – which comes four months after he was ‘physically and verbally” abused by drunken fans following England’s loss in Scotland.
“They [SA fans] have always got plenty to say – especially when they win,” he said.
“Of course, I responded. I asked them where I could get a good bottle of Pinotage. They told me to go find it myself, so I’ll go find it myself. I might go back and see him later.”
Jones probably needed a drink after seeing his team lose a fourth successive Test match for the first time since England lost four straight to New Zealand in 2014. In the space of 44 minutes the tourists allowed a 24-3 lead to turn into a 39-27 deficit as the rampant Boks, led by history-making captain Siya Kolisi, turned on the after burners. Jones had warned South Africa would play like giants in their ‘spiritual home’ and he was not wrong. But England ripped up the script in the first quarter, completely wrongfooting their hosts. But after Mike Brown, Elliot Daly and Owen Farrell had scored tries to silence the crowd, the Boks suddenly awoke.
It came as a surprise given the way the hosts were carved open by Jonny May for Brown’s opener. Then George Ford and May again for Daly to finish.
Indiscipline
But after Ford and May had again combined to release captain Farrell, individual indiscipline undid England’s good work.
“A few errors crept in, our discipline then let us down,” said Farrell, pinning the blame on 17 penalties conceded. “We have to look at the game and make sure we stick together.”
Sale scrum-half Faf de Klerk’s close-range try sparked the comeback, then mixed pace with speed of thought to make three tries for his two rookie wings.
England at least finished on a high, Maro Itoje and Jonny May claiming late tries, but have plenty to do to keep the series alive in Bloemfontein next Saturday.
Tries: De Klerk, Nkosi 2, Le Roux, Dyantyi. Cons: Pollard 4. Pens: Pollard 3.
Tries: Brown, Daly, Farrell, Itoje, May. Cons: Farrell 4. Pens: Daly, Farrell.