MISSION IMPOSSIBLE
Jones wants England to put down the popcorn and be movie stars against the All Blacks by producing...
ENGLAND head coach Eddie Jones has urged his England players to become film stars by creating their own blockbuster at Twickenham today, rather than watching the All Blacks dominate the grand stage.
His team will be clear underdogs when they confront Steve Hansen’s peerless New Zealand side, but Jones is adamant they will not be overawed.
‘You either make the movie or watch the movie, and we want to make the movie,’ he said. ‘We don’t want to sit there and watch, which is what happens sometimes when you play New Zealand. You think: “They’re the best team in the world, we can’t compete against them”.
‘But 33 per cent of our players have beaten New Zealand (with England or the Lions). They understand that, like any team, they’ve got weaknesses and we’ve got an opportunity to get at them. So we want to make the movie. We want to be film directors.’
Asked if too many teams show the Kiwis too much respect, Jones added: ‘They sit there, eat popcorn, have a can of Pepsi and watch the movie. Then they realise: “We can be in this”, but it’s too late.’
Jones’ bullish stance is admirable, but the band that played the Mission Impossible theme tune at Twickenham last Saturday before England took on South Africa should have saved it for today instead.
Armed with the best win ratio of any team in any sport, the world champions have already succumbed to one defeat in 2018, which seems to cover their shock setback quota for the year. Most of their big names are fit and fresh and ready. It has been four years since the All Blacks faced England and they mean business.
While the clash with Ireland in Dublin in seven days’ time is the pinnacle of this autumn Test series, New Zealand are not treating today’s contest as a warm-up. They are taking England seriously, even if most neutrals predict a foregone conclusion.
The bookies regard the hosts as 4-1 outsiders in a two-horse race on their own track. That is a reflection of just how decimated they are by injuries — and how their star has fallen in the last nine months; a period featuring a five-Test losing streak.
During England’s golden spell in 2016 and 2017, when Jones elevated them to No 2 in the global rankings on the back of a world record-equalling run of 18 straight wins, it felt as if they could genuinely topple New Zealand from their perch. But then they faltered while Steve Hansen’s side thundered on, until an ambush by the Springboks in Wellington two months ago.
That exposed cracks in the façade, but the All Blacks rallied to avoid losing to the same opponents weeks later in Pretoria, re-establishing their precious knack of claiming logic-defying victories. They swept past a feeble Australia in Yokohama a fortnight ago and now stand before England, resolute and ready.
So, from an English perspective, there is a distinct sense of Mission Impossible about this encounter, especially given the damaging absence of the Vunipola brothers, Joe Launchbury, Nathan Hughes, Sam Simmonds, Anthony Watson, Jonathan Joseph and others. The Kiwis are missing Sam Cane, their firstchoice openside flanker, but otherwise are close to full strength.
Last week South Africa had total control of the first half but England stayed in the fight and snatched the narrowest of victories late on.
It was not a bad way to prepare for today’s daunting occasion, on the basis the hosts are likely to be scrambling to stay in the game. That demonstration of sheer, bloodyminded defiance must be a minimum requirement today.
If New Zealand have as much attacking possession and as many scoring chances as the Springboks had last week, they’ll be out of sight by the break.
Yet South Africa showed in Wellington they can be knocked from their stride — just as the Lions proved when they negated so much Kiwi artistry last year. Even New Zealand fly-half Beauden Barrett’s super skills can unravel when pressure is applied. The same goes for his halfback partner, Aaron Smith. The All Blacks cannot be matched like-for-like, so the home side will have to make the game a feisty, confrontational contest, close down the visitors’ space and avoid loose kicks which invite lethal counter-attacks. England must ignore the aura and play the men. New Zealand have a strong set-piece foundation these days, alongside the familiar array of firepower, but invincible they most certainly are not. What awaits is not impossible, but in this context, not far off.