After six years in charge, the jury is still out on you, Eddie. It’s high time you delivered – and that means NOW not later...
WHEN Eddie Jones named his latest squad earlier this month, it was clear that next year’s World Cup was as much in his thinking as this year’s Six Nations.
Hopefully, that has since changed.
For a start, the bizarre omission of George Ford has been forcibly reversed by the latest injury to Owen Farrell (left).
But a collection of setbacks in the build-up
to next weekend’s opener at Murrayfield surely means Jones and England can only focus on the here and now.
And the here and now should be winning a second Championship in five years and a second Grand Slam in 19 years.
Let’s face it, such is the depth of resources available to Jones, those targets should be realistic aims for England every time the Six Nations comes around.
Yet, for the 2022 edition, bookmakers have France as the favourites and can barely separate the English and Irish.
Presumably, that has a lot to do with Ireland’s 32-18 win over England last year, but Jones’ squad had a decent autumn, defeating Australia and world champions South Africa.
Jones will be without his most trusted playing lieutenant for the duration of the Championship.
Remarkably,
Farrell has featured in every one of the 30 Six Nations games that England have played under the Australian coach.
Farrell is the only player from any nation to have not missed a match since the start of 2016. Whatever your take on Farrell, Jones sees him as his talisman.
That is why he had again named him as captain this time, even though Farrell had not
played rugby since November.
Now Jones needs another skipper, with
Courtney Lawes the most obvious of the candidates to assume the role.
However, Lawes has not been in full training because of headinjury protocols.
This remains an England
squad packed with leaders. Tom Curry and Ellis Genge captain their respective clubs, Sale and Leicester, but maybe this is the time for Maro Itoje to be given what he is surely destined for.
In one of his books, Jones doubted that Itoje has what it takes to be a great international captain, describing him as “inward-looking”.
But, since then, Jones has, apparently, changed his mind.
“I’ve got no doubt in the future that he [Itoje] will captain England,” he said. That future might be about to arrive, but, whoever captains England, they should be captaining a team that – even without injured top try-scorer Jonny May – is capable of setting the Six Nations abuzz.
Whether or not he starts his first Six Nations game against the Scots in what is certain to be a febrile atmosphere, Marcus Smith, 22, is already as exciting a fly-half as there is in world rugby.
And, in the event that Itoje is not yet seen as ready for the captaincy, it could well be the mightily impressive 23-year-old Curry who assumes that role instead.
England have a nucleus of young players that certainly
suggests the future, including the 2023 World Cup in France, looks bright.
But that is normally the case.
It was the case when England were beaten by Scotland, Wales and Ireland in the 2021 Six Nations.
Since becoming England coach, Jones has won three Six Nations titles, which is decent going, but par for the course.
England and Jones have a lot of players and finance at their disposal, and going deep into next year’s World Cup should be a minimum requirement.
But, in the 2022 Six Nations, the need to make a much better fist of things than they did last year is not up for debate.
Never mind France 2023. Jones – with the jury still out on his six-year reign as England coach – needs to deliver in the here and now.