EDDIE and the HOTNODS
Jones says Saturday’s Scotland clash is just up for in the Calcutta cup showdown a Six Nations game.. World Cup places are
EDDIE JONES has demanded England lay down a World Cup marker this weekend against Scotland at Twickenham.
Saturday’s Calcutta Cup showdown is the final competitive match for both countries before the tournament in Japan this autumn.
Jones wants England to use it to convince not only themselves that they are on track for World Cup success, but all their rivals too. Jonny May revealed: “Eddie called us in and said, ‘This is the last big proper Test match, isn’t it? Warm-up games are warm-up games, but this is an opportunity to put a stamp down as to where we are now for the World Cup’.” Victory would see England crowned Six Nations champions for the third time in four years, if holders Ireland also win in Wales.
But, given they have no influence over events in Cardiff, May says the focus is on delivering their performance of the championship to act as a springboard into Japan. “We want
that momentum from within our group and to feel good about ourselves,” said the Leicester winger. “And you want to put down a marker as well – not just for the rest of the world – but to show our country to get behind us because we can win the World Cup.” After Saturday, England are without a Test until August 11 when they host Wales in the first of four World Cup warm-up matches. They go to Cardiff the following week, then play Ireland at Twickenham on August 24 and Italy in Newcastle on September 6.
“If we have a good performance this weekend, we will feel good about this Six Nations,” added May. “It would have felt better had we beaten Wales, but there is a bigger picture to what we are doing here.”
Elliot Daly says England’s aim is to be more ruthless than they were in Ireland – where they stuck four tries on the world’s No.2 side – and more patient than against Italy, when they scored eight tries.
“We want it to be our best performance so far,” added the fullback. “Then we can come into the World Cup camp knowing where we are as a squad and from that point you can push on.”
England must be satisfied, given they have scored six more tries than the next best attack (Ireland) and conceded only one try more than the meanest defence (Wales).
Add in confirmation that Manu Tuilagi will remain a cornerstone of their team through until at least the 2021
Lions tour – after re-signing with Leicester – and spirits are high in the camp.
“There is nobody else quite like him,” said team-mate May.