Jones ramps up pressure on Wales after Ireland overpowered
Eddie Jones enjoyed the last laugh against his selection critics after ending Ireland’s Grand Slam hopes at Twickenham, but the England head coach expects his side to go up another gear against Wales.
George Ford and Elliot Daly both capitalised on excellent attacking kicks to score tries in a first half so one-sided that Jones claimed the home team “could have declared” at half-time. The second half was a more even contest, but England showed no signs of wobbling after Robbie Henshaw’s 50th-minute try as they had in their previous home Six Nations match against Scotland last year.
The victory keeps England’s title hopes alive, although they will need France to slip up in their remaining games away to Scotland and at home to Ireland. England will be able to claim the Triple Crown for the first time in four years if they beat Wales at Twickenham on March 7, and Jones laid down the gauntlet to his team to raise their standards.
“We’re just fitter, we’re able to play with more intensity and we will be better against Wales,” Jones said. “We will have another 10 per cent against Wales. We know every time England play Wales it’s the biggest game there’s ever been, so I don’t expect next Saturday week to be any different.
“We played with a lot of control, we read the conditions well, read the referee well and at half-time if it was a cricket game, we could have declared.
“We were good against Scotland, really good against Scotland in difficult conditions, and we took another step up and will take another step up when we play Wales.”
Jones’s team selection had raised plenty of eyebrows after he decided to start centre Jonathan Joseph on the wing for the first time in his Test career, as well as pick five second-row forwards in his squad. One of those locks, Courtney Lawes, starting at blindside flanker, was given the man-of-the-match award, while England turned the tables on Ireland by winning the high-ball contest.
Jones could not resist striking a triumphalist tone in his press conference. “We are going to go for six locks next week [against Wales], give you something to write about,” he said. “Look I don’t need vindication. I pick the team I think is right for the week and you guys are so clever, you’re all clever, so I’ve just got to suck it all up, enjoy what you
say, try to learn from you, and maybe I can pick a better team next week.”
Lawes, who was celebrating his 30th birthday sporting a nasty black eye, combined with lock Maro Itoje to set the tone for England’s physical dominance against Ireland.
Lawes had been dropped to the bench against Scotland following the opening-round 24-17 defeat by France, but benefited from receiving a painkilling injection in his ankle. “It made a big difference.
I was able to use my footwork a lot more. It paid dividends,” he said.
Jones was quick to hail the contribution of the bruise brothers, who combined to make 28 tackles and 13 carries. “Maro wants to take a step up as a leader within the team and you do that by influencing better performances by the other players and he led the way today,” Jones said. “I thought him and Courtney were outstanding. We gave him a week off last week to freshen him up and he’s come in to camp and made a hell of a difference today.”
Like Tyson Fury earlier in the day, England started on the front foot and had Ireland pinned inside their own half, before Ford scored the first try, pouncing on Johnny Sexton’s mistake after eight minutes.
“We really did want that fast start,” Lawes said. “Playing back at home for the first time in a while was a good motivator for us. We really wanted to get out of the blocks hard and take it to them.”
Coming into the game off the back of two wins, Ireland improved in the second half, but the contest was settled by Luke Cowan-dickie’s pushover try rendering Andrew Porter’s injury-time score a consolation.
Afterwards, Ireland head coach Andy Farrell accepted responsibility for their slow start. “It’s up to myself for that, you know, were they up for it more? And us going for a Triple Crown?” Farrell said.
“That’s my responsibility to make sure that shouldn’t happen. So I’ve got to look at myself first and foremost.”