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England coach Eddie Jones has the crushing advantage over his Wallabies counterpart Michael Cheika with five successive wins as the two former Randwick stalwarts do international battle.
Even though Jones has always been a cheeky little bugger, he didn’t have to stoop so low as to mock David Pocock’s neck injury in the lead-up to this weekend’s Twickenham clash.
Jones has treated Pocock in doubt with a wave of the hand.
“Here we go again,” was Jones’ initial reaction. “I hear this every time we play Australia, Pocock’s not going to be fit – he’ll be fit.
“You know that merry-go-round at the Royal Easter Show? It’s a bit like that.”
Not so, Eddie. The last time Pocock was in doubt against England was two years ago when he fractured an eye socket in the first of three Tests to miss the next two.
So mocking the best Wallaby on the paddock, whose neck injury is fast becoming a serious threat to his career, does Jones no credit. Stick to the impressive five wins on the trot and talk up a record sixth.
The only other time the Wallabies have lost five in a row against England was on Jones’ watch as Wallabies coach between 2000 and 2003, the year England, coached by Clive Woodward, won its only Rugby World Cup, beating Australia in extra time.
Jones has plenty of other ammunition to fire at Cheika, who is facing his worst campaign since he took over from Ewen McKenzie for the Northern Hemisphere end-of-year tour in 2014. The Wallabies beat Wales first up, then lost to France, Ireland and England.
In 2015, Cheika’s most successful campaign, the Wallabies reached the RWC final, winning 10 of 12 internationals for an 83 per cent success rate.
In 2016 it was six of 15 for 40 per cent, in 2017 it was seven of 14 for 50 per cent, and this year just four of 12 for 33 per cent.
In the process the Wallabies have fallen to a record low of seventh in the world rankings, lost their first home series against Ireland since 1979 and lost their first international to Wales in a decade after 13 successive wins.
(Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Very painful stats that have been magnified by Pocock’s injury, described by halfback Will Genia as being “busted”, and the fact giant lock Rory Arnold has been sent home with a fractured eye socket sustained at training.
As vital as Pocock is to playing, the medical team won’t risk him in the last game of 2018 leading into a RWC year.
And it hasn’t helped that a stomach bug hit the squad last week, with Israel Folau and Bernard Foley the worst affected, which could explain their poor performances against Italy.
But this Twickenham clash has all the makings of a must-win against the odds for Michael Cheika – just four wins from 13 won’t make for a happy Christmas.
So it would be poetic justice if the cheeky little bugger had to eat his words, whether David Pocock plays or not.