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Eddie Jones compares England beating All Blacks to Alex Ferguson dethroning Liverpool
Eddie Jones has challenged England to alter the course of rugby history by emulating the success of Sir Alex Ferguson in dethroning Liverpool.
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New Zealand await in Saturday’s World Cup semi-final at International Stadium Yokohama as Jones’ four-year reign reaches its defining moment.
The All Blacks are in pursuit of an unprecedented third successive global crown and are the sport’s dominant force, but Jones uses a football analogy to explain the task confronting his players.
Ferguson famously remarked when becoming Manchester United manager in 1986 that his first job was to “knock Liverpool off their perch” in reference to their rule over English football.
Jones senses the time is right for New Zealand to be relieved of their crown.
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“That’s what we’ve got the opportunity to do. When you’ve been involved in rugby the country you want to knock off is New Zealand because they’ve been the best,” Jones said.
“And the reason you’re involved in this game is you want to be the best. You’ve got the opportunity to change rugby history on Saturday and the whole team is excited about it.
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“It’s going to be a great contest. Two heavyweights, one dressed in black, one dressed in white. You couldn’t think of a better scenario.”
England have not progressed beyond the quarter-final stage since 2007 and four years ago they failed to reach the knockout phase at all.
What it's like behind the scenes having three Barrett brothers in the All Blacks squad in Japan… https://t.co/DJ0rFm0PO2
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 24, 2019
Stacked against that record are New Zealand’s triumphs in 2011 and 2015 that expose the underdogs’ lack of big-game experience on the greatest stage.
Jones insists, however, that England’s status as a prized scalp means they will be well prepared for such a high stakes occasion.
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“Our players have played a lot of big games. Every game they play at the Six Nations the other country is coming for them,” said the head coach, who has picked George Ford at fly-half in the only change to the side that defeated Australia last weekend.
“We play Scotland at Murrayfield, they come for us. Ireland at Lansdowne Road, they come for us.
“Thirteen of our players were involved in the Lions tour. They have big-match experience. And this is a big game, let’s not doubt that.
“Players have had big-match experience, they’ve failed, they’ve had success and that’s one of the things I like about this team.
“If you look over the four years, we’ve had success, but we’ve had failures. We’ve had to learn from those wins and from those losses, and Saturday it’s going to be tested again.
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“When we played New Zealand in November we learned that you’ve got to be alive in every moment of the game.
“There were times when we weren’t and we allowed them back in the game. That’s been the greatest lesson of all.
“The All Blacks traditionally score most of their points in the second 20 minutes of the first half and the second 20 of the second half.
“The most crucial stage of this game is going to be the second 20 minutes of the second half, where the game’s going to be won or lost.
“We’ve been particularly diligent in selecting our team to take that into consideration. In fact we selected our finishing team first.”
Jones has called on England fans to play their part in propelling his side into the final.
“We saw their support in the football World Cup and in the Cricket World Cup and we are feeling it in the Rugby World Cup,” he said.
“Our supporters on Saturday have got a big job for us. They are probably going to be outweighed in that stadium, so we need them to be at their most vocal.
“They need to drink a fair bit of beer beforehand and be ready to go!”
– Press Association
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Comments on RugbyPass
I still see nothing in Sotutus play that hes changed his upright running style that failed so many times against decent international defences like the french. Other than that… Iose? Well you have covered his limitations well. If Sititi had been playing the the season… Jacobson? Grace?…Neither shout pick me. So Ardie it is.
1 Go to commentsThere isn’t one element you mentioned there that every top class or successful team gets up to. The great All blacks sides used to play on the ‘fringes or edge’ but it was essentially saying they were doing something illegal or borderline to gain dominance. The fine margins at the top are minute between the top sides. La Rochelle, the crusaders, Saracens, Toulon etc etc…..have all been accused. Get over it, the comment comes across as salty and naive. Northampton as well as they played to get back into the match were thoroughly beaten and controlled for 60 minutes and Leinster have only themselves to blame for kicking it away and hence losing control of the match and being nearly the architects of their own downfall.
2 Go to commentsThere is some talent coming thru thats for sure. The 10 looks special to me. Rico Simpson is a name to look for in the future.
1 Go to commentsI think this quiet honestly is just an innocent misunderstanding by someone who is pig sh*t stupid. Eben is a fine player but by christ, if he can’t understand or get what the Irish players were trying to say to him after the match…..well i hope he has someone looking after his finances, career and is reading the fine print for him, cause life after rugby may be quite difficult for the vacuous echo chamber.
27 Go to commentsIt could be Doris' day!
3 Go to commentsThe whole thing has blown up because Eben’s words have clearly struck a nerve in Ireland. Otherwise they would just laugh it off. I think some former Irish players, commentators and some Irish fans know deep down this Ireland team started to believe its own press and that a certain amount of arrogance had started to creep in during the World Cup. The topic was actually brought up by Irish pundits on Off the Ball recently. It’s fine to be arrogant if you can back it up. Ireland didn’t.
27 Go to comments‘The Irish are good people'. Why is Goode praising a people who hate his own? Wet wipe.
27 Go to commentsLa mejor final que se puede ver en el emisferio norte.
1 Go to commentsA lot of cope from south africans in the comments. Etzebeth is a liar and a hypocrite; you don’t have to defend him!
27 Go to commentsHe got big and really slow for a flyhalf…not sure he’s relevant in a bok conversation anymore
4 Go to commentsBest tourney team vs best team in the regular season for 3 games in RSA - talk is cheap, let’s see what’s what on the tour
27 Go to commentsOne overlooked statistic from their 2016 winning season is the Huricanes are still the only team in Super rugby history not to concede a try during the playoff rounds.
4 Go to commentsThanks for the article, Nick. The Nienaber blitz D does ask a lot of its scrumhalf. I have been watching JGP on D and he often looks like he has mastered what Nienaber asks for better than Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach! 🤣 Impressive season by JGP if I must make an understatement.
22 Go to commentsOkay last one. I promise. I think it’s despicable for Andy Goode to suggest that Eben can’t count to 12. To be fair he only had to count to 8 - the number of Irishmen who DIDN’T say that. Less the 3 kiwis of course. 23 - 12 - 3 = 8. See Joe. I can do maffs.
27 Go to commentsCheers, Nick! How do you see the Reds’ Jock Campbell’s play this year? Not as strong a carrier as Andrew Kellaway or Tom Wright, but does avoid errors. Do you see Joe Schmidt as wanting safety first at 15 or a try-assisting counterattacker?
91 Go to commentsI’m sure this was all just a big misunderstanding. Irishmen and Afrikaaners conversing in a noisey stadium. Not easy to get the right messages across. A minefield.
27 Go to commentsSay what you will about Andy Goode. But he is right about one thing… I’m not sure what that one thing is exactly… but I’m willing to hear him out.
27 Go to commentsAnother article to bait and trigger Irish fans. This must stop.
27 Go to commentsHi Nick. Thanks for your +++ ongoing analysis. Re Vunivalu, He’s been benched recently and it will be interesting to see what Kiss does with him as we enter the backend of SRP. I’m still not sold.
91 Go to commentsIn the fine tradition of Irish rugby, Leinster cheat well and for some reason only known to whoever referees them, they are allowed to get away with it every single game. If teams have not got the physicality up front to stop them getting the ball, they will win every single game. They take out players beyond the ruck and often hold them on the ground. Those that are beyond the ruck and therefore offside, hover there to cause distraction but also to join the next ruck from the side thereby stopping the jackal. The lineout prior to the second try on Saturday. 3 Leinster players left the lineout before the ball was thrown and were driving the maul as soon as the player hit the ground and thereby getting that valuable momentum. They scrummage illegally, with the looshead turning in to stop the opposing tighthead from pushing straight and making it uncomfortable for the hooker. The tighthead takes a step and tries to get his opposite loosehead to drop the bind. Flankers often ‘move up’ and actually bind on the prop and not remain bound to the second row. It does cause chaos and is done quickly and efficiently so that referees are blinded by the illegal tactics. I am surprised opposition coaches when they meet referees before games don’t mention it. I am also surprised that they do not go to the referees group and ask them to look at the tactics used and referee them properly. If they are the better team and win, fair play but a lot of their momentum is gained illegally and therefore it is not a level playing field.
2 Go to comments