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Roy Hodgson could learn a few things from Eddie Jones

Roy Hodgson's Palace are in strife (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)
Expert
21st June, 2016
2

Eddie Jones has done a remarkable job in the short time he has been in charge of England’s rugby team, coming in after the 2015 World Cup hosts suffered the humiliation of exiting in the group stage.

It was heartening to see him demand a 3-0 win, a whitewash, against the Wallabies. If he achieves that, then the articles saying England have done Australian rugby a favour by revealing its shortcomings will only increase.

Yet it is not just Australian rugby that can learn lessons from Jones and co., the English football team could do worse than take a few notes.

The 2003 World Cup-winning coach Clive Woodward briefly dipped a toe in the beautiful game with Southampton, perhaps Roy Hodgson should get on the phone with Jones.

The boys from Twickenham are clinical; that the lads from Wembley are not.

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In the second Test in Melbourne, Australia had similar levels of possession that the Three Lions had against Russia, Wales and Slovakia.

The Wallabies came up against a well-drilled, well-organised and resolute backline and just weren’t able to break through.

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The stats were all in favour of the hosts as Spiro Zavos wrote earlier this week – Australia ran for 962 metres to England’s 282, had 177 carries to 53, and had 12 phases of seven-plus ruck recycling compared to zero for the visitors. In the second half, the Aussies had 72 per cent possession and 76 per cent territory.

Yet, the statistic that really counted showed that despite the contrast in possession, England had won by its biggest ever margin in Australia.

England’s football team has plenty in common the Wallabies based on recent performances. The Three Lions had the lion’s share of possession against Russia, Wales and Slovakia, with 65 goal attempts over the three games, compared to the 17 that the opposition managed.

Yet all they had to show for almost 270 minutes of control and domination was three goals. Despite all the ball, all the probing, the passing, the set pieces, the blocked shots, the shots and all the rest, just three times did they find a way through.

What England would give for a bit of Jonesian influence! Despite being on the defensive in Melbourne, despite all the statistics, England’s rugby boys were as ruthless in attack as Donald Trump, though a great deal more accurate, controlled and clinical. With pressure well and truly soaked up, when the chance came the points followed.

It was the exact opposite of the Wallabies and Roy Hodgson’s men. The latter at least, can console themselves that they are very much in the competition and that, at the time of writing, despite finishing second, the road to the quarter-final doesn’t look too bad.

In the quarters they look likely to face France, who are certainly a good team, but England are a good team too and have been playing fairly well.

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Rarely blessed with the creative nous to break down packed, well-organised and intelligent defences, it could well be that meeting some more attack-minded opposition may suit.

Had things gone just a little differently, England could have won all three games and nobody would have complained. I am not the biggest fan of Hodgson, but the criticism of the coach, at least in this tournament, has been too much. Such is life when it comes to the English national team. Many in the media probably think that nuance is a Hungarian left-back.

Hodgson’s biggest test is yet to come. The same can’t be said in the rugby with the series already sealed. Jones and England have seen to that.

A few lessons learned from Melbourne and Brisbane as well as Marseilles, Lens and Saint Etienne would go down very well.

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