DIRTY TRICKS
Eddie says ‘niggly’ Scots will provoke England
EDDIE JONES has stoked the flames ahead of saturday’s Calcutta Cup showdown by describing scotland as a ‘niggly’ side.
The England rugby union coach insists his men are ready for any scottish provocation after his players were targeted in the tunnel on their last trip to Murrayfield.
England lost in Edinburgh in 2018 when a brawl erupted before kick-off after scotland no 8 Ryan Wilson shoved fly-half George Ford. There was more needle when Jones was abused by fans on a train, which resulted in a police investigation.
But Jones, who will be without injured centre Manu Tuilagi, said England will not lose focus like they did two years ago.
‘They’re a niggly side, aren’t they?’ said Jones. ‘The dressing room scene two years ago was when they tried to goad a couple of players — and they were successful. They’ve done that through the ages.
‘That’s the way they stay in the game and they’re good at it. our record against scotland is interesting — over 80 per cent wins in England but only 50 per cent at Murrayfield.
‘The environment helps them but you’ve got to be good enough to stay focused, be on task, do what you need to do.
‘it is more than a rugby game for scotland, maybe, and you can lose your attention. our preparation this week is about making sure we have the right focus, the right attention on doing our jobs.’
England have not beaten scotland since 2017 and Jones must make changes in the
midfield following Tuilagi’s injury. The centre lasted only 16 minutes against France but the prognosis is not as serious as feared, with a comeback set for later this month. ‘Manu had his MRI scan on Monday night and he has a slight low-grade adductor strain,’ said Jones. ‘We’re hopeful he’ll be fit for Ireland. It’s very good news. Outstanding news.’ In recent games, England have been undone by Scotland’s wide game — with Finn Russell the danger man. However the No 10 has fallen out with head coach Gregor Townsend and youngster Adam Hastings took over the jersey for their opening game of this season’s Six Nations against Ireland. ‘Hastings plays a bit deeper and is more consistent in his attacking strategies than Russell, who tends to be more individual,’ said Jones. ‘Gregor wants to play a width game. I’ve been to Murrayfield and they have closed the field down. We went there on the captain’s run on the Friday and the field was 70 metres wide. Then we go back there on the Saturday and it is 60 metres wide. Gregor probably wants it 80 metres wide. He wants to play from side to side and he wants to play with width. So we’d better check the markings on Saturday!’