AUTUMN INTERNATIONALS 2018
Wheels back on for Jones’s boys as they
Neil Squires THE blues of early 2018 have been banished by England who have the chariot back on track as they head into World Cup year. A comfortable win over Australia rounded off a fine autumn campaign and with key personnel to return in the New Year, Japan 2019 again looks a realistic target for Eddie Jones’s men to shoot for. England were too strong all round for the Wallabies with what they had at Twickenham.
Throw in the Vunipola brothers and a restored Manu Tuilagi, who tip-toed his way back into Test rugby after a two-year gap with 12 minutes off the bench yesterday and there is an air of genuine menace about England.
Poor
They are not the finished article – they should have put a poor Australia side away by more yesterday – but with nine games to build up a head of steam before the World Cup optimism is building once more.
“We had a tough Six Nations. We got some things wrong in planning, some things wrong in terms of where we were going as a team and we needed to regroup and we did that,” said Jones (below).
“We didn’t get the result we wanted in terms of winning the South Africa series but in terms of the togetherness of the team, how we want to go forward, this series was a step forward and the 2019 Six Nations will be another step forward again.”
England’s second half had Twickenham on its feet yesterday with Jones’s men running in three tries after the break.
Elliot Daly (right) struck in the 44th minute, speeding through on an arcing run from Owen Farrell’s offload. Then Joe Cokanasiga (left) bounced off Dane Haylett-petty to score in the 56th minute. Farrell completed the rout with four minutes left, taking substitute George Ford’s pass to score. Cokanasiga has been the find of the autumn with the giant Bath wing making it two tries in as many starts for England.
Dreamed
“It’s something I’ve always dreamed of. I just love it and there will hopefully be more to come,” said the 21-year-old.
“This is definitely a step higher than club rugby. It’s quicker and