Jones restores dignity by repelling the siege
The narrowest of winning margins could be turning point for coach as he plots route to World Cup glory
The siege of Mafeking – sorry, Twickenham – ended after 50 minutes, when England finally broke out. By the end, Eddie Jones was able to leave a stadium throbbing with excitement with his ticket to Japan almost booked.
If this was a referendum on Jones as England coach after five defeats in six, the players voted for him to stay. And some were barely old enough for the ballot. Many who answered the cry to stop the English rot were still hardly known outside their Premiership clubs. Hope was restored, dignity recovered, and Jones was given his chance to turn on his critics. He asked: “Why’s this got to be the most important game? So you guys [the media] can get me sacked?”
New Zealand are next on to this patch of suburbia, and the world champions remain capable of running up a cricket score against Jones’s injury-ravaged squad. But already England seem sure to end these Quilter Internationals with two wins from four – at a minimum. Japan, the World Cup hosts, are likely victims here in a fortnight. Then, the Australia game that concludes the series looks 50-50.
For this draining, stressful but ultimately uplifting win, England can thank extraordinary South African profligacy and wild line-out throwing, as well as a missed 45-metre Handre Pollard penalty that shaved the outside of an upright with six minutes left. They might also raise a glass to the TMO and the referee, Angus Gardner, who declined to penalise Owen Farrell for leading with his shoulder in a desperate last-gasp tackle on Andre Esterhuizen. This lucky escape for Farrell killed South Africa’s last chance and had Twickenham rejoicing in a way seldom seen in 2018, a year of regression. But from another, red-rosy perspective, this was a victory seized by England rather than one thrown away by South Africa.
The home side survived a first half where they saw negligible amounts of the ball – and nothing of
South Africa’s 22-metre zone
– to come flying back at the Springboks from around the 50th minute. They counter-attacked, played faster, crossed the gain line and planted doubt in South African minds after a first 40 minutes in which the Springboks posted 78 per cent territory and 67 per cent possession.
In that torrid opening spell, England were living off Springbok fumbles and line-out throwing from Marx, their hooker, that was more Groucho than Malcolm. In such dark times, people convince themselves that the attacking team will pay for their poor finishing. But as the teams jogged off at the break England contemplated the miracle of South Africa’s slender 8-6 lead with no real hope of turning it round.
Yet a different side emerged from the depths of Twickenham’s vast stands, with Jonny May and Jack Nowell resolved to answer fire with fire, Zach Mercer adding dynamism through the middle and Farrell increasingly influential. A sweetly clipped 46-metre penalty kick by Elliot Daly put England in front and from there a real barnburner ensued, with England’s new boys pitching themselves into the fray without fear of the physical consequences.
Watching rugby, even at this level, you have to be prepared for inexplicable decision-making, and when Brad Shields, England’s No6, bore down on South Africa near the touchline with 10 minutes to go, his wild throw inside induced a shout of anger from Chris Ashton, who had been backing him up. Four minutes later, Pollard had his head in his hands after launching his penalty at the wrong side of an upright.
You know the next line. Fine margins. Farrell’s “no-arms” tackle was another. The fates, though, seemed predisposed to give Jones a break, which he needed after England’s fifth-place Six Nations finish and series loss in South Africa. Now, Jones can say he has beaten the Springboks twice in a row – this time with a team of “under 450 caps,” as he emphasised. World Cups, he added, are won by sides with “800 or 900” caps between them.
What was all the fuss about? Well, the sirens weren’t imaginary. At stake this autumn is the viability of a management style that relies on hard coaching, yes, but also a confrontational approach that can become wearying to some players.
The Rugby Football Union was reluctant to address even the possibility of ditching Jones – though Dean Ryan is in a handy place, as the head of international player development. Now it looks to have been spared that conversation (with the usual proviso that nobody can predict anything these days).
The two big ticks for Jones are that his tactical changes worked while starters and “finishers” fought tenaciously to start this series with a win. South African wastefulness and the leniency shown to Farrell will feature less highly in the debrief.
Jones got straight to work on New Zealand, suggesting the world No1s would be “drinking tea and eating scones” with renewed confidence of marmalising England. This is an invitation by Jones for the All Blacks to be complacent on Saturday – and one they are unlikely to accept. By one point England saved themselves from a week of turmoil, an autumn of anxiety, and the “Unsteady Eddie” label was removed, for now.
Jones can now say he has beaten the Boks twice in a row – this time with a team of ‘under 450 caps’