Jones confident England can end losing run at Newlands
EDDIE JONES is confident England’s losing run will come to an end in Saturday’s final Test against South Africa.
The Springboks have already claimed the series 2-0 ahead of this weekend’s clash in Cape Town, where England will seek to halt a run of five straight Test defeats.
Jones’s future has been placed in doubt for the first time and another reverse on Saturday would represent the nation’s worst sequence of results since 2006, when Andy Robinson was sacked.
But the Australian head coach, who continues to have the backing of the Rugby Football Union despite the slump, believes England are well placed to triumph at Newlands.
“If the guys can stick at it – they’ve worked hard on this tour – and keep their intent right then we’ll get the result we want on Saturday,” Jones said.
Danny Cipriani is in contention to start the third Test at fly-half having come on as a second-half replacement in Bloemfontein with George Ford making way if Jones opts for a new playmaker-in-chief.
England, who have a fully fit squad from which to select, will make two enforced changes when they name their team on Thursday morning after the Vunipola brothers returned home.
Billy Vunipola re-fractured his arm at Free State Stadium and faces an extended spell on the sidelines, resulting in Nathan Hughes’s promotion to the starting XV at number eight.
Mako left the squad in order to attend the birth of his first child so Joe Marler will be given the loosehead prop duties.
“We’ll look at how we train (on Wednesday) and then pick the best 23,” said Jones.