Wales skipper Jones hails rivals’ pressure points
Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones has praised England’s ability to manage the pressure and expectation that has accompanied their long unbeaten run under head coach Eddie Jones.
Wales are next in line to plot England’s downfall on Saturday for an eagerly-awaited RBS 6 Nations showdown.
Jones’ England are undefeated in 15 Tests, with 14 wins under his direction. Wales skipper Jones is set to make his 16th appearance against England, and he knows the degree of difficulty is an acute one.
“What people forget is when you win for that long, the pressure builds with each game and people want to see you toppled,” he said.
“But they’ve managed that very well, and you can see the (playing) depth they are getting – not just at nine and 10, but across the park.
“That is the biggest bonus they are going to get moving forwards, as Eddie has alluded to.”
One of England’s major individual successes in 2016 was lock Maro Itoje.
Jones and the 22-year-old have been tipped in many quarters as the British and Irish Lions’ prospective Test second-row pairing in New Zealand later this year, and although Itoje is currently featuring at blindside flanker for England, his impact remains a considerable one.
“He is a stand-out performer for them,” Jones said. “His rise has been meteoric. He played at six (against France) and that just shows the number of strings he has to his bow.
“But if you look at England’s second-row, they have such strength in depth.”
Wales will face England on the back of a strong second-half showing against Italy, when they scored 30 unanswered points.
Jones added: “We can be satisfied and content with the performance. With the territory we had, yes we can be more clinical, but essentially we got the win.”
* Alun-Wyn Jones was speaking at the launch of Ale Wyn, a new beer brewed in collaboration between the Wales captain and Brains, Wales’ biggest brewer. See www.sabrain.com for more details.