Eddie Jones insists England are negotiating an inevitable slump where the “game does not love you” after France handed Ireland the Six Nations rugby title by prevailing 22-16 over his team in Paris.
England surrendered the crown they have held for the last two years with a second successive defeat, a fortnight after falling to Scotland.
The breakdown, exposed at Murrayfield, was a fault line once more but even more alarming were the 16 penalties that saw them whistled out of contention by referee Jaco Peyper.
“It’s just a tough period for us. We are always going to go through this at some stage,” England boss Jones said.
“Any team that is developing, as we are, goes through tough periods where the game does not love you.
“If the game loves us then we might have won against France, but we didn’t get bounce of ball, we didn’t get the 50/50 decisions and we are in the losers’ chair and it is not a very happy place.”
It was the third defeat of Jones’ 27 Tests in charge and the Australian called for a sense of perspective while England address their slump.
“I don’t think we should get too carried away or too melodramatic about where we are,” he said.
“We are a rugby team and no rugby team has an aura of invincibility about them.
“Every team is fallible and every team has a weakness and certain strengths and, at the moment, teams are outplaying us in certain areas of the game and we have to learn from it.”
Jones revealed that number eight Nathan Hughes is “unlikely” to be available for the climax to the Six Nations against Ireland at Twickenham on Saturday.
The Fijian-born Wasps star took a blow to his left knee inside the opening half hour and had to be helped from the pitch.
France could now finish as high as second in the Six Nations table if they topple Wales on Saturday and head coach Jacques Brunel was delighted after stitching together successive wins against Italy and England.
“There was suspense right until the final minute, but this time the coin fell onto the right side,” Brunel said.
“Our defence was remarkable and there was a lot of energy and will. We got a lot of good opportunities which we weren’t able to finish, but there’s lots to be happy with.
“We knew the physical challenge would be key and we controlled the ball and that upset England, they’re not used to that.
“I told them that if we won it would open up new and positive things. We’ve been criticised a lot but we believe in the team.”
Robatscimx
Guest
I think the lady doth protest to much!
Lara
Guest
Side note ....creative kicking might work in football, but in Union you might need a little bit more.
P2R2
Roar Rookie
he'll go the same way as what ARU did to him as WBs coach
P2R2
Guest
I think that the RFU will be looking for a new coach come the end of the AIs
Taylorman
Guest
Yes true but these series are supposed to be income earners for the hosts, and that’s why we reciprocate. If you can’t produce a test programme where you’re playing generally your best side then you may as well not play them. Understood overworked players could be rested but to send development squads is cheapening test rugby. Perhaps the ABs should send non test playing NZ xvs north? After all, we have to replace the hundreds of ABs they’ve bought off anyway, so we have more reason to do that. They’d probably win anyway but they wouldn’t be ABs. I’m sure that would go down well.
riddler
Guest
fionn i said on here a couple of weeks ago that bod had something similar.. he says that they will obviously be going for a win.. but more importantly they will be giving some other players intl game time.. in preparation for the wc.. makes sense to me to be honest.. giving murray, sexton, best, kearney et al a bit of a rest.. they will tour i presume and will be playing but maybe not starting every test..
Fionn
Guest
I hope you're wrong, Poth. Very disappointing when teams don't send their strongest squads over.
Wobblies
Guest
I hope you don't do your own taxes
haymother
Guest
But he in fact did destroy the scrum and turn one of our best groups of players into unthinking robots. His role as a consultant with the Bokkes is not the same as a head coach role. And he was in fact s*** when he coached the reds. These are actual things that happened. He did great with Japan thinking outside the box, and he has been tactically smart with England, rebuilding their belief. But in the end, same old Eddie. Reverted back to his stats, and his single game plan, and his unshakable notion that he can't find a group of players in the whole of England that can't play his preferred power game AND find a bit of creativity when the need arises ... i.e. when they happen to be chasing points. To a point, he has done an amazing job, but all that winning has bread complacency. If Scotland and Wales can really click playing total Rugby (as opposed to kick, scrum, penalty repeat) England will fade away.
taylorman
Guest
Well if they do that I reckon the Wallabies should cancel the tour. Anyone in the top tier of International rugby thats prepared to throw matches and not treat the International programme with the respect it deserves should be struck off that programme.
taylorman
Guest
can now, is that another reincarnation of Birdy? this time I'm picking....hmmm...perhaps a box of chocolates, like England, you never know what youre going to get next...run forrest run...:-)
Misha
Guest
N. Zealand P31 W24 L3 D1 – 87.5% ...Aaah 24+ 3+1 does not = 31
Derm
Roar Guru
Don't know about the peaking Hash mate. They had a few blips - the biggest problem for them now is sorting their approach to the breakdown - it's killing them in games. That's Jones' next big task. Ireland have been going ok - getting a few wins here and there. Still a work in progress. Away match wins are like hen's teeth in the 6N so difficult to tell how next week will go. If England win it, there may well be some useful learning points for the boys to pick up. The Australia June series is the next big thing to start looking at. It's the opportunity for Schmidt & Co to look at the back-ups and the newbies to give them needed game time. Ideally, the travelling squad needs to have a good chunk of the following players to continue the depth build: Bealham, Kilcoyne, N Scannell, Porter, Ryan, Jas Ryan, Dillane, Beirne, van der Flier, Leavy, Murphy, Conan, Mc Grath, Cooney, Keatley, Carbery, R Scannell, Farrell, McCloskey, Larmour, Stockdale, Conway. Most of the Six Nations first team should stay home and let the wider squad build.
Derm
Roar Guru
Methinks Kirky is the Roar's Kiwi Parody. It's a wind-up. Don't mind him.
Derm
Roar Guru
Kinky - you are Stephen Jones in disguise and I claim my fiver.
Mitch
Guest
Not just this match but many others
Mitch
Guest
Lol apreciating the other team is a formality for Eddie and every coach in any sport what he does always makes throws in annoying remarks like when he lost to Ireland he said is they played 10 times against them he would win more (salty?????) When he was asked when Australia had players sent off and disallowed tries did he get the bounce of the ball? This question did not even compute in his brain. It is a trend in every loss he has ffs dude just deal with it.
dru
Roar Rookie
I can think of a couple of super rugby teams in Aus who would welcome EJ.
moaman
Guest
Seriously Kirky! Are you joking mate or are you really that lacking in self-awareness? You are literally doing what you accuse the English of!
Hash House Harrier
Guest
PA- lol! No worries mate, just checking the facts -;) It has been an impressive body of work compiled by England over the last 2 years that’s for sure- However in light of recent results there could now be an argument that they are guilty of peaking between WCs, or peaking too early as the case may be. Will be interesting to see which way they trend from here and what kind of response they can come back with! You must be feeling quietly confident going into St Paddies? Ireland are also building an impressive body of work and timing their run quite nicely. Congratulations on the 6Ns championship, very well played! Going to be a cracker of a show down coming up-with Ireland looking to lay down a marker and England looking to respond to 2 losses on the bounce and staring down a 3rd.