England ready to ‘slug it out’
After the thrills and spills of their 38-34 victory last week, England coach Eddie Jones is anticipating a war of attrition against Argentina in the second Test in Santa Fe today.
After losing 10 of their past 12 matches, Argentina are liable to revert to their traditional strengths in the tight away from the expansive style they have employed since entering the Rugby Championship and Super Rugby.
That is just what Jones wants to help his preparations for the 2019 World Cup when matches will range from the tight and tactical to the fast and furious.
“We want to become a very adaptable team – we want to be able to play both ways,” Jones said. “If we have to slug it out or if we have to play in an open affair like it was last week. It might be a bit of a slugathon. It is very rarely that you get two games the same.
“It is like drinking a beer, the first beer never tastes the same as the second beer and the third beer never tastes the same as the second. So rugby is the same. If the first game has been open the second game has been tighter so we are prepared for both.”
As a tenacious hooker for Randwick in his playing days, Jones has a soft spot for the sluggers and scrappers. Piers Francis, who starts at inside centre as one of three changes from the first Test, is the latest example having responded to rejection by Saracens and Edinburgh by forging a career in New Zealand with the Auckland Blues. “You look at his pathway, he has really had to battle it out,” Jones said.
“He was left out of the Sarries academy because they didn’t think he was big enough, went up to Edinburgh for a season, lost the season through a foot injury and then made his way down to club rugby to slug it out in New Zealand. There is a fair bit of desire about him.”
Sam Underhill, who makes his debut at openside, also took himself out of the English club system to study economics at Cardiff University where he was picked up by the Ospreys. “They have very similar stories – a number of these players here are like that,” Jones said.