What Jones has learnt from this autumn – his team is on track
England coach has put a poor spring behind him and built a highly confident team that is back on course for the World Cup
For me the most important thing to emerge from the autumn from an England perspective, and it was much in evidence yesterday, was the growing sense of confidence about this squad. It was quite a loose game, with lots of errors from both teams.
But England always stayed positive. When they turned the ball over they did not just look to retain possession, they were always looking to attack Australia. The lightning counterattack in the second half finished off by Jonny May – although it was subsequently ruled out because the ball touched the line – was a perfect example of that confidence. England really took Australia on. They had the confidence to run it from deep, and then the kick chase was excellent. England started both halves so well, which was particularly important given what happened against New Zealand a fortnight ago.
They really seemed to know what they were doing. There was a clarity about their play, which bodes well for that mouthwatering opening Six Nations fixture in
Dublin in February. Much of England’s confidence stems from continuity of selection through the autumn series. This was a major positive, as was the fact that those selected generally grabbed their opportunities with both hands. Whether it was Joe Cokanasiga on the wing, Ben Te’o and Henry Slade in the midfield, Sam Underhill and Mark Wilson in the back row, or Ben Moon and Kyle Sinckler up front, England have so many more options now. Sinckler, in particular, was outstanding yesterday.
And coach Eddie Jones will be much clearer about his strongest line-up. I think he has a pretty good idea of his best XV, which is not something you could have said heading into the autumn. We now know that Owen Farrell will start at 10, for instance (he was instrumental to England’s win again yesterday, although he was lucky not to be shown yellow for that shoulder charge on Izack Rodda).
We know that Te’o and Slade make a well-balanced midfield. We know that Underhill and Wilson work well together in the back row. That “middle seven” I have spoken about before (Nos six to 13, excluding 11) looks far more settled.
Brad Shields has some convincing to do. He was quiet again yesterday, although he did manage one excellent turnover. But again the international exposure he got this autumn will be invaluable in the long run. The only minor quibble I had with Eddie’s autumn selections was his decision to make so many changes against Japan. Keeping 10 of the team would have been a good opportunity to establish the understanding which was shown in the first half against the All Blacks. Considering the fact that Billy Vunipola, England’s strongest runner ball in hand, is still out injured, Eddie is not doing at all badly for carriers. Sinckler had a strong game yesterday, although I would probably have made Maro Itoje or Courtney Lawes star man because they were, for me, more influential; constant thorns in Australian sides, both in attack and defence, always making themselves available to carry, always harrying.
What with Jamie George, Underhill, Wilson, Cokanasiga, Te’o and Manu Tuilagi, England have now got a great variety of carriers. Ben Youngs always had players available to whom to pass. It was good straight running that led to Elliot Daly’s first-half score. And it was the threat posed by Tuilagi that created the space for Farrell to score his second-half try, after a clever move from a line-out and a great Nathan Hughes offload in the build-up. In his 20 minutes, Manu made a big impact. want as your last line of defence. But I would find room for Daly, particularly given his booming boot, which is such a weapon to have your locker. Overall you would have to classify it as a very positive autumn, particularly after what was a less than convincing spring. In a World Cup three wins and