I’ve just finished watching a mixed affair from the Stadio Olimpico, and it leaves me conflicted.
Eddie Jones is clearly playing things safe. A coach who famously understands how the media works and can be worked, Jones has given himself plenty of wriggle room with the selections he has made so far.
In picking a first XV that generally resembles the Stuart Lancaster era, he is yet to stamp his own selections upon a blueprint that was not as wholly terrible as the World Cup campaign may have suggested.
I could list the potential young England players in the Aviva Premiership who could have been included in the England 23 based on recent form, but for Jones to include these players would be a risk too much, too soon. A bad result with the current (older) line-up and he can always claim he is building and getting to know the team he has.
There is a part of me that wishes Kieran Brookes, Maro Itoje, Elliot Daly, and Christian Wade were on that team sheet for the Scotland game, but I can understand the logic behind Jones’ decisions.
And that’s the crux of it, Jones has a plan. There is a logic to everything he does and he also has the experience to be patient. Exceptional players now will be exceptional in a couple of months, and if their form has disappeared, well then they were not the second coming the media proclaimed them to be.
This stands in stark contrast to Lancaster, who leading into the World Cup demonstrated a complete lack of logic. Sam Burgess for centre? With the benefit of hindsight, that’s a ridiculous selection, but even at the time no one could unpick the logic behind that decision.
What Jones has instead demonstrated is that his priority lies in giving a badly mauled English pack their teeth back. And if that means the backs have to look after themselves until that happens, then so be it.
Jones has done this by building a base of strength. Dylan Hartley is the best international hooker England have had since Steve Thompson. His discipline record is colourful but the season Martin Johnson was selected to be Lions captain in 1997 he split a man’s head open with a single punch. Different eras obviously mean different expectations, but it’s rugby, Hartley is a hooker, he’s aggressive, get over it.
Significantly, Jones’ bench selections have given the clearest clue as to the future of this England team. He picks a bench that is designed to produce a difference when introduced; sounds simple but in the Lancaster era you could set your watch for when substitutes would be used because, most depressingly, those decisions had been made hours before kick-off.
Against Scotland, substitutes were left relatively unused due to the close nature of the contest and when they were employed, it was experienced players like Mako Vunipola who were asked to make the difference. Against Italy, he had a 6-2 forward-back split, so he could flood the field with physical, fast and aggressive forward substitutes that ultimately gave England a comfortable win against a tiring Italian pack; a ploy reminiscent of Toulon against Saracens in the 2014 Heineken Cup final.
England’s attacking play also shows a refreshingly clear and coherent approach, if not overly exciting. The plan can basically be summed up with two words. Kick. Chase.
It’s a low-risk strategy playing in the Six Nations where you’re facing a back three containing no one more threatening than Virimi Vakatawa for France. Obviously if England were to attempt this strategy against Nehe Milner-Skudder, Israel Folau or Juan Imhoff then it might be a little riskier.
It is this two-word game plan that encapsulates Jones’s approach, why strain yourself looking for magic remedies when it’s not necessary in a competition that is as low in quality as the Six Nations at the moment?
Ultimately Jones’s masterstroke has been to give the media nothing but wins to talk about. No selections perceived as risky, no game plans considered especially revolutionary. Every decision he makes, every word he says seems to be carefully considered and there has been nothing outside of his control, so far, that has caused him to miss a step.
True, the England team can haemorrhage penalties at an alarming rate for no discernible reason but that particular problem is unfathomable. Jones is good but he’s not God, and it’s a long-term problem for a long term solution.
What will change before Joe Schmidt’s injury-decimated Ireland visit Twickenham is that England will be favourites, and that prospect presents the first risk of Eddie Jones’s tenure. Does he stick with a team that are stable and risk repeating previous mistakes made by Lancaster teams of the past, or does he twist by selecting potential over experience?
We already know the answer, he’ll stick with his current first team because Eddie’s England are strong-ish; their forwards, through Dylan Hartley, George Kruis and Billy Vunipola look aggressive and mean. And he will twist with his subs bench but we will be unable to make any accurate long-term conclusions concerning Eddie’s England until the summer and November tours involving the Southern Hemisphere giants have taken place.
One bright note for England supporters is that under Eddie Jones, they do not look like making the same silly mistakes that have defined the last four years of English rugby.
That should worry the teams north of the equator and will make the Wales-England Twickenham encounter crucial to the destination of this year’s Six Nations trophy. However, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina are still in a different league.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
You're on the wrong forum chum
RobC
Roar Guru
Bomber dropped Hartley altogether last year as a player, much less trusting him for any form leadership Ford started with Farrell once, in Bomber's last ever game as coach vs Uruguay last year. The great majority (ie almost all of them) starting centres were 36, Barritt, Tuilagi, Eastmond. Then there was Burgess. 20 yo Farrell started 12 in Bomber's first two games as coach in 6N 2012, with Charlie Hodgson inside him - to ease him into the 10 position. After that every other game he played only fly half until the 60-3 game in Uruguay. Ford has never started at centre.
Rugby Fan
Roar Guru
Under Lancaster, Hartley captained England, and Ford played alongside Farrell. Neither choice is breaking new ground.
Graeme
Guest
I'd say Jones has taken more risks than any of the other 6N coaches just in those two decisions. Both are controversial, and if either had backfired, questions would have been asked. But after the first two games both seem to be panning out well
Graeme
Guest
I think, more than any other team, Eddie Jones will want his coached team to beat Australia. He knew the South African team fairly intimately, and coached Japan to a historic victory over them. And I doubt he will do any less when coaching England to play Oz, and I would expect no less of him, although I obviously hope he fails terribly.
Jake
Guest
"Claiming ‘ ….Argentina are still in a different league’ is mind boggling." No. Argentina would win the 6N.
Squirrel
Guest
The 6 nations are regressing. The teams are becoming less skillful though bigger. Argentina would win this tournament easily now if in it. They have benefited hugely by being thrown in the deep end.
CUW
Guest
the issue is those are IRB world cup refs. surely their interpretations remain same even after a few months!!! i just wonder if there was any card after two rounds (i have not seen all 6 matches)? i think the Eng v ITA penalty count was like 13 : 8 .
Timbo
Guest
I actually thought England were poor first half. Disagree with your assessment of Itoje being out of his depth when he came on. He stole one lineout, pressured another into an error, his work at the breakdown led to 2 turnovers, and he ran hard and effectively. Admittedly, that was against a tiring opponent, but his performance was very good.
Timbo
Guest
My only worry for a cracking series against Australia is what physical condition England will be in. To go straight from an emotionally draining RWC into the ridiculously long domestic season, and not finish until just 2 weeks before the first test in Oz means chances are England will be missing a few and carrying a number of walking wounded, mentally and physically.
lao hu
Guest
Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina are still in a different league. That league has a name it's called the RCH I suspect will be further expanded in the future.
ThugbyFan
Guest
Agreed there CUW, I have watched a few of the 6-Nation matches this year and have been gobsmacked at how lax are some decisions (non-decisions). I don't think much has changed with their lineouts. In the RWC2015, I would not be surprised if 40% of lineout throws were crooked. I recall a Scottish player catching the ball just above his shoulder that was closest to the halfback and Joubert/linesman allowed the throw. With this 6N, Haskall almost killed an airborne catcher and all he got was a quick lecture and penalty. That was a send-off in the RWC2015. Similarly a player was unended in a tackle with tackler's arm holding the leg well over his hips and again, just a penalty no card at all. I've seen blokes sent off for less. Again in the England match, Italian winger kicks ball and chases, English defender knocks him A over H in the chase to the ball, lineman with clear vision and about 5m away does absolutely nothing. wtf?? The English are also still using that old NH tactic, pass ball to deep 5/8 or #12 while lumbering forward runs towards defenders, said hulk stops dead in tracks and innocently lifts arms while ball carrier runs just past him, defence on one side is obstructed by above mentioned hulk. Referee either too slow or too stupid to see it or interpretation of obstruction is different in the North Pole. Even so, from the 1st two rounds, I would say Wales and Ireland have gone backwards while England, France and Italy have definitely improved from last years 6N and RWC teams. The English forwards have looked a vast improvement, but lets face reality they played against the two teams battling for the wooden spoon. England could easily have gone into half time down 12-11 against the Italians, however the Italy forwards "died" in the 2nd half from the constant bashing and England ran away with the match. But lets go easy on the terms "Greatest ever" and "Exciting England" until they have played against the bigger boys. Bart has hit the nail on the head with the backline. The English attack looks so more dangerous with that 2nd attack wave. Almost Aussie-Like.
Sam Taulelei
Guest
I haven't watched any 6 Nations yet so if the authors assessment of coach Eddie Jones is that he's playing it safe with England, what about rival coaches Gatland, Schmidt, Noves and Cotter with their respective teams? Are they also playing the percentages? Is anyone taking risks?
Sam Taulelei
Guest
Professionalism and the game turning professional are different things but I interpreted your original comment "post-professional" the same as Peter - circa 1996.
Peter Hughes
Roar Rookie
Yes Mathew - good article - fully agree :)
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
No Peter. Professionalism was about a lot more than player wages.
PeterK
Roar Guru
professionalism i.e. players fulltime and paid was 1996 not 2000.
Bart
Guest
Eddie has been selecting the best possible 23 available. Look at Maro Itoje's performance against Italy. No doubt the guy is a superb athlete, but he was way off the pace and way out of his depth compared to the likes of Haskell and Robshaw, let alone the locks he's meant to be competing against for a place in the team. Same for Jack Clifford - he's an ok ball runner, but he's got no balance over the ball at the ruck and is just a wasted shirt there. What Eddie Jones has done is improved the senior players in the team. Billy Vunipola has never played this well for England. He is even stealing turnovers now. Hartley has been impeccable at set piece - I don't think England have lost a single scrum on their own feed yet. All the props are in career best form against two of the strongest scrums in world rugby, Scotland and Italy. George Kruis, sensational direct running. And even Owen Farrell has improved as the second phase ball player. Which brings me to the one thing Eddie has really added - a second wave of attack. It was there for Ford's first try against Italy - Farrell was the second wave and Vunipola and Watson were the decoys to hold the defence. Nowell scored against Scotland the week before in a similar move and I think Farrell again gave the final pass there. The timing isn't there yet and they are dropping a lot of ball, but so far Eddie has made a very big difference which will start to really pay dividends when the next generation of young guys start to improve overtake the incumbents under his coaching.
RobC
Roar Guru
Thanks for your thoughts Matthew. EJ has taken two risks: - Hartley as Captain - two playmakers in 10 and 12 I think he will use the first few matches to settle these changes, as well as regaining their set piece form, that Bomber unraveled last year
dan in devon
Guest
its too early to make a judgement on Jones's England - they need to be tested against Wales and Ireland. I think England's problem is with their 9, 10 and 12 as it was under Lancaster. I prefer Danny Care to Ben Youngs as he moves the ball quickly from the ruck but Eddie seems to be favouring Youngs for his willingness to carry the ball and run with the forwards to the attack line. I was previously a big fan of Ford but Ford and Farrell together tends to result in a lot of lateral movement which the tired and slow Italians were not able to cut down. On a lighter note, rugby seems to give licence to a good dose of parochialism - Hartley was penalised for going in with a shoulder and the English commentators were declaiming the harshness of the ref's call; how different their response was during the world cup when Hooper applied a similar shoulder charge to Mike Brown! No doubt such bias pervades both hemispheres.