For the second game in a row, England tasted defeat, a flavour they’ve not been accustomed to for some time.
After 24 wins in 25 games, heading into Murrayfield a fortnight ago, few would have associated the word ‘crisis’ with England. However only three weeks later, back-to-back defeats have left many pondering England’s direction. Having looked unstoppable before their showdown with the All Blacks in November, question marks now hang over Eddie Jones’s head.
As fans and pundits conducted post mortems of the surrender in France, one major frustration at England’s approach to the game emerged. Despite needing four tries and a bonus point to secure a chance at winning the Six Nations when they played Ireland on St Patrick’s day, Farrell chose the posts on two early penalties rather than touch. Kicking to touch would have given England line outs deep in French territory and the chance of seven points, instead, it was clear England were concentrating on erasing memories of a frustrating night in Edinburgh – willing to take a win in whichever way it came.
Whilst this left fans confused and unimpressed, in some ways it was understandable. Whilst Six Nations titles – or any tournament victory for that matter – are important, the ultimate goal for England is, and always has been, the 2019 Rugby World Cup. This was clearly the reasoning behind Jones instruction to focus on simple, less exciting rugby, rather than try and overplay.
On the road to any tournament, winning breeds confidence and means a team is heading in the right direction. It would have been fantastic for England to march to victory in all campaigns prior to Japan, but with a consistent Ireland, an exciting and improving Scotland, and old rivals Wales, it was always unlikely England would achieve that.
Despite the defeats, Jones should be commended on his determination not to waver from his long-term strategy, and focus on a win rather than a one-off tournament. His mindset and approach differs from any coach in world rugby, and it’s part of the reason England have been so successful under his stewardship. Despite two bumps in the road, Eddie Jones remains the man to take the team forward – and the blip is not yet enough for that to be questioned – but his determination and headstrong mentality also come with a stubbornness, and therein lies Jones’s weakness.
Anybody who watched the game against Scotland, even if they weren’t knowledgeable on the sport, could see the game was lost at the breakdown. Scotland were fast, ferocious and powerful, England were tired, slow and reactive. In the week leading up to the squad selection, all fans and the media were calling for England to make changes to their back row. A stubborn Jones failed to see it that way.
The same back row that struggled in Edinburgh, were also ineffective in Paris. Les Blues pounded the English at the ruck. They must have been delighted at seeing Lawes, Hughes and finally Robshaw, who was busy but short of brilliant, on the team sheet. Despite injuries to key players such as Billy Vunipola, England still had options such as Haskell and Simmonds on the bench – two players that are physical and domineering, and would have changed England’s dynamic from the off.
Jones has been critical of the media during his tenure, and you can’t help but think he picked the same back row to try to prove a point. Not only does he feel he and his team should not be questioned, he also wanted that same back row that had failed against the Scots, to go to Paris, dominate, and prove his point. However this strategy failed.
Since day one, he has warned players that not one of them are indispensable – and if they don’t perform, they won’t be picked. So why after England’s worst performance and result under Jones, did he completely deviate from that mantra, and stay loyal to a group that were completely dominated? The only answer is stubbornness on his part.
This is the first time in Jones tenure he’s been questioned – and likely the first time he’s questioned himself, although he would never admit it. A camp that has been so insular – focused on themselves and their own growth, without any intrusion – has for the first time appeared influenced by outside factors, and it’s resulted in their first back-to-back defeats since 2015.
As Jones described it after the game, it is currently more of a “bad time” than a crisis, but how England react to this game, and how the coach changes his approach, both tactically and mentally, will be the key to whether England emerge as a force in world rugby again.
