JONNY IN AWE OF EDDIE’S MEN

EDDIE JONES says England are not as good as Sir Clive Woodward’s World Cup-winning team, but Jonny Wilkinson is ‘in awe’ of the current crop and sees plenty of similarities between the sides. By beating the Wallabies 37-21 at Twickenham, England equalled a 13-year record of 14 consecutive Test wins set by Woodward’s all-conquering class of 2003. Wilkinson, the No 10 who led England to World Cup glory in Sydney 13 years ago, has worked as a coaching consultant with Jones’s backroom staff over the past 12 months and is well placed to compare the teams. ‘If anything, it just feels like there’s an ability to control their own destiny,’ says Wilkinson on England’s current squad. ‘Whatever’s happening to them on the field, they’re starting to look like they’re just capable of understanding it and reforming it and remoulding it into something that works for them and then channelling all that power and passion through something else. ‘It’s about being able to say, “Right, hold on, we’ve lost a guy after five minutes, it’s not how we prepared”. To be able to say, “Right, we’re up against it against a fabulous side. We’re OK, no worries, we’ll work it out”. That’s kind of the same image that’s coming to me through training to preparing for the next game. These guys are just picking up the ability to respond.’ Wilkinson, England’s record points scorer with 1,179, has worked closely with the 10-12 axis of George Ford and Owen Farrell under Jones. ‘I’m trying to help organise their energy from outside the bubble,’ he says of his role with England. ‘The bubble of international rugby can be very intense. I don’t have anything to add to these guys. I go there and watch and I’m in awe of what they’re doing and how they’re doing it.’ Would he consider a similar role with the Lions? ‘I’m a rugby player in my past and it’s been a fabulous journey, and I’m definitely a massive Lions supporter, but, at the same time, this is a new era and I’ve made no secret of the fact that this may not be where I fit in best at all.’ It’s been quite a turnaround since last year’s World Cup and Wilkinson has no doubt that Jones has proven the catalyst for England’s 2016 revival. He said: ‘It’s not all about tactics with him, he’s a big culture builder, big at understanding people and how to get people moving and motivated.’