How peerless Jones put the snarl back into England
Coach has introduced a mental toughness and transformed the side from flops to serial winners
All hail Eddie Jones, then. The man is clearly a miracle worker. England have gone from embarrassing flops at their own Rugby World Cup to winning eight Tests on the trot, encompassing a first Grand Slam since 2003 and a first series victory in Australia, indeed a first series win in any of the three big three southern hemisphere countries.
Those are the bare facts, and in this moment of dizzy success after one of the greatest defensive displays witnessed in Test rugby, it is hard not to be sensational and not to see things purely in black and white.
Indeed, when asked to name England rugby’s 10 greatest moments of all time for this paper’s website, I swiftly slipped it in at No 3 behind the 2003 RWC triumph and the two victories on the short tour of New Zealand and Australia prior to that tournament.
The weight of history attempting to drag England down simply meant that this series success had to have that sort of lofty perch.
Nevertheless, let us try to assess calmly what has happened here. How about we first say that England were not as poor as everyone made out at the RWC and that they were always going to be on a steep upward curve after it, regardless of the outcome.
Say that Stuart Lancaster, whom it is so easy to criticise right now by comparison with Jones, actually laid some excellent foundations, selecting most of this current side, having hauled the side away from the ignominy of the previous RWC.
Remember last year, when Rob Andrew, the Rugby Football Union’s professional rugby director, who is to depart his post soon, said that this team would probably take two or three years to reach its peak?
He took some flak, but in truth he was right, and still is. For example, just imagine what will happen when Maro Itoje grows up.
This side still has so much potential. This should only be the beginning.
But what has Jones done so right? He has brought a winning mentality, for a start. That might sound trite and obvious, but when you consider, as I do, that England have not produced a full, definitive 80-minute performance in any of those eight wins, then you can fully contemplate the edge that Jones has clearly brought.
Armed with a simple game plan, England have been winning matches mentally as much as physically.
But Jones has also put the snarl back into the English game. He has restrengthened the set-piece after the RWC wobbles, but, most crucially in my view, he has altered the approach to the breakdown. Gone is the penchant for attempts at ‘jackalling’, in its place a seething desire to smash those present out of the way before trying to steal or secure ball.
Jones has, though, made decisions Lancaster would never have made. For example, Dylan Hartley as captain, James Haskell at openside and Chris Robshaw at blindside.
He has had some luck too, mind. Itoje, for example, only started for the
He will now be linked with the Lions. The RFU should not allow him even to consider taking the job
dangerous test If the man in the glass is your friend.
You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years And get pats on the back as you pass But your final reward will be heartache and tears If you’ve cheated the man in the glass. Union should not, in my opinion, allow him even to consider the job.
Why? Because Jones is here for four years with one sole purpose: to win the RWC in 2019. He is here to work with the senior team. He is here to ensure they win.
He is not here to put development programmes in place, talk nicely to the clubs or do any of the peripheral stuff in which Lancaster will probably admit now he became too involved.
England need Jones at next year’s Six Nations. They need him there for the autumn internationals this year.
The deal with the Lions is usually that once appointed you start immediately, even though Warren Gatland was permitted to take charge of two of Wales’ four autumn internationals in 2012.
Gatland wants the job, and he did win the series in Australia in 2013, after all. He is an excellent international coach, despite some recent harsh censures.
Gatland will do a fine job. Let him have it, and let Jones continue his wonderful work with England.