Breakdown prompts rethink for Jones

ENGLAND: Coach says they have been too slow adapting to changes in the game

Eddie Jones is ready to make changes in response to the alarming power deficit exposed by the surrender of England’s Natwest 6 Nations title to Ireland.

For a second successive match they were overrun at the breakdown as France sealed a 22-16 win in Paris that swept the trophy from Twickenham to Dublin with a round to spare.

England will be condemned to their worst Six Nations performance since 2006 and could finish as low as fifth if they fail to prevent Ireland completing the Grand Slam next week.

Damning post-match statistics listed 11 turnovers and 16 penalties conceded, figures so high Jones sees no option other than to make personnel adjustments.

“Significantly, we gave too many penalties away, which was the difference in the game, and the breakdown again caused us trouble.

“We did not learn quickly enough. Why? I am not 100% sure. There’s no lack of effort. The game is changing a little bit and we have probably been slow to adapt to it.

“We are not adapting to the referee’s interpretation at the ruck as well as we should.”

England spent the fortnight after the Calcutta Cup rout at Murrayfield working on their breakdown, only for the same issue to surface in Paris.

James Haskell, who as a third-quarter replacement provided the type of power that had been missing, said: “We’re coming from the Premiership, where no one competes at the breakdown, into the Six Nations, where every team is throwing lots of people into it.

“We haven’t been quick enough to adjust to that,” he added.

“It very hard to adapt to international rugby. You have a go and you get penalised, so you don’t want to go in again.

“International rugby is dramatically different now to where it was 12 months ago.

“It’s a lot more of a power game with more physicality around the breakdown.”

“The game is changing a little bit and wehave probably been slow to adapt to it. EDDIE JONES