Countdown to Eddie’s moment of truth
A NEW international campaign for England at Twickenham today against South Africa begins with Eddie Jones’s oil can out attempting to free the brakes which locked so screechingly on his runaway chariot last season.
Rediscovering the momentum which marked his first two years in charge is a pressing priority.
At the end of this particular road is the World Cup that will ultimately define his tenure, and to arrive there in the current stuttering state would be to invite almost certain failure.
If England happen to reach the final in Japan in a year’s time, they will have 20 games to play between now and then.
Clive Woodward’s side that triumphed against Jones’s Australia in the 2003 final won 19 of their 20 games in a parallel period.
It takes a Bob Beamon-style mental leap to imagine Jones’s England mirroring such a run on the back of 2017-18.
“I probably never recognised how difficult 2017 would be,” admitted Jones. “I don’t think you would recognise it until you have been through it after the Lions series.
“At least 65 per cent of your squad go away, they don’t have proper preparations for the season. In a lot of ways 2017 was a difficult year. Did I account for that when I first took the job? No.
“It is a bit like when you have a baby. Everyone tells you how difficult it is but you never know until you actually have it and you are up at 3am five mornings in a row.”
But this season, as England set out on a four-game autumn series today, they are hampered by a body count which has even the irrepressible Jones sounding wistful.
Manu Tuilagi’s withdrawal yesterday was the latest addition.
“The only time we will have any chance of getting our best team together, I know 100 per cent now, is when we get together on July 8 for the World Cup,” said Jones.
“Otherwise we are just going to be picking players out from here, there and everywhere to try to get through the next period of time. That’s the reality of rugby – particularly up here.
“How many times in the last three years have we had every player available? Not often. How many times have we had four or five unavailable? Very often. You’ve got to play with those cards now. We have to find alternatives, see if they can fit the team and see who can make the jump up to international rugby.”
The England pack has an unfamiliar and vulnerable look about it as the Springboks come into view today.
While South Africa have strengthened since the summer with the return of Malcolm Marx – the best hooker in the world according to Jamie George – and Eben Etzebeth, England have lost the Vunipolas, Courtney Lawes and Joe Launchbury.
Blending in one or two newbies would be OK but the gallery of fresh faces in the pack makes for a sense of unease. South Africa
have their inexperienced areas – the back three and at scrum-half – but if England cannot get hold of the ball they will not be able to ask questions of them.
“We’re massively confident in our ability. No one in our pack is second guessing why they are there,” insisted Brad Shields, who will carry out the injured Chris Robshaw’s role for England.
“It’s pretty obvious what South Africa are going to bring. A massive thing for them is their emotion and their brutality.
“They want to be the dominant pack – even some of their big backs want to be that dominant force. If we can match that, if not better, at set-piece that will go a long way to taking away some of their good play.”
Shields has shown virtually nothing for Wasps but having seen him excel for the Hurricanes against South African sides, Jones has rolled the dice on him today.
The England coach holds the Premiership in such low regard as a proving ground he is relying largely on instinct to promote the players he feels might fill the gaps.
Hope springs eternal and perhaps the sight and sound of Twickenham will inspire England to rise again.
But, frankly, it is a case of fingers crossed and hope for the best.