On-going front row issues can be rectified with ‘soft’ engagement
Well done Eddie Jones, coach of the year, a truly deserved accolade for the results of the team he has put together in the hope of bringing England World Cup glory.
Whatever you say about his players and whether or not he has piggy-backed on Stuart Lancaster’s selections, there can be no doubt the coaching team was his choice and they have delivered results across the board. Yes, there are still areas to work on, but generally they have improved the play of the England team in most facets of the game.
As Jones has intimated, this is a journey that will not end until November 2, 2019 and every game is a step on the road to that day, which will be the defining game of Jones’ tenure with the England team.
Of course, we won’t know whether or not the team will actually make it to that day or if they do, whether they will be successful until after the match, but the positive mantra Jones exudes is a confidence boost for all involved.
Jones, by setting that date as his last day before he leaves the role of England head-coach, has shown just how shrewd a coach he really is.
I have often said that I believe coaches have a lifespan as far as keeping a team fresh and focussed and that is around four years. After that the manager/head-coach has to either leave or replace his specialist coaches to refresh the ‘message’ and style of play.
I must admit to a quiet admiration of Jones and the way he is running his show, knowing, as he does, that there are none or very few consequences for him whatever happens in Japan.
Win, and he will get all the plaudits and a possible knighthood. Lose, and he can’t be sacked or have to stay around to pick-up the pieces of a potentially broken squad.
He has also given the RFU a unique opportunity to search for the next coach without the pressure of having to bring in someone as a stop-gap until they find their man.
In fact, if the RFU were to find Jones’ successor in the next year or so, he could work alongside Jones through to the World Cup to bring some continuity to the squad when Jones leaves.
Japan still seems a long way off but it will arrive surprisingly quickly for the players. However, Jones still has just about enough time to find those elusive second and third choice players to give his eventual squad the strength in depth he believes England need to ensure a win – but there are areas for concern.
The scrum (despite all efforts) is still a bit of a mess, with players seemingly unable to do what were considered basic skills not so long ago.
Simple things like hooking a ball that hasn’t been put virtually behind your outstretched heel, which has been sitting illegally in the middle of the tunnel for an age. I have to say this puzzles me for a number of reasons. First, as far as I know, the laws haven’t changed to allow for ‘foot up’ and yet the referees seem not to take any notice as the hooker puts his foot out before the scrum-half even presents the ball.
As Brian Moore demonstrated to Wayne Barnes at Twickenham during a Press conference, striking for the ball as the scrum-half feeds the scrum takes at most a few seconds and allows the hooker to regain a stable position helping to keep the scrum up.
Allowing a hooker to stand with one leg outstretched in the tunnel in an unstable position endangers not just the front row but also the whole scrum.
Also, props are seemingly unable to keep their feet and keep the scrum up despite the fact that in the last ten years the scrum has been depowered by around 20 per cent, reducing the pressure on players.
After much discussion with Paul (The Judge) Rendall and Jason (Fun Bus) Leonard, we have come to the conclusion that it is all about foot position.
In a modern scrum controlled by referees, the two packs stand relatively close with the front rows feet parallel because they have to reach round to get a firm grip when they are told to bind. They are then told to bend without making contact with their feet remaining in the same position.
When they are told to engage they try to move their feet back as they make
“If players were forced to make a ‘soft’ engagement we would no longer have to endure endless resets”
contact to get into a good pushing position. However, because of their height, moving both feet back causes them to tip forward slightly, which is accentuated as the opposition do the same increasing the risk of a collapse.
If players were forced to make a ‘soft’ engagement they would be able to move their feet without the tipping motion and we would no longer have to endure endless resets.
With the players now back at their clubs, Jones will have to put all thoughts of finding solutions to the questions he says he still has with his England team, until next year.
Jones has said nothing else will do but an England Grand Slam next year. If Jones is to gets his wish, his team will have to be at their best in what promises to be the most competitive Six Nations for years.