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Eddie Jones heavily implies that England will respond to haka
Eddie Jones insists England are determined to “light up” Twickenham by hunting for New Zealand in Saturday’s main event of the autumn.
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Jones has made three personnel changes for the All Blacks’ first visit to London for five years by recalling number eight Billy Vunipola, centre Manu Tuilagi and wing Jack Nowell.
Vunipola and Tuilagi started the rivals’ most recent clash at the 2019 World Cup semi-final when England emerged emphatic 19-7 winners having earlier faced the Haka with an audacious V-shape formation.
It was a thrilling moment of sporting theatre that preceded one of the great performances in English rugby history and Jones has promised another spectacle.
“We’ve got a responsibility to light the crowd up. We want to light the crowd up and whether it’s during the Haka or post the Haka, I don’t really care,” Jones said.
“The fans can be our 24th player. The noise the crowd made against Japan last Saturday was fantastic.
“The players felt the warmth and pride that the crowd brought and now it’s our responsibility to light them up.”
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Reflecting on where teams go wrong against New Zealand, Jones said: “It’s always in the head, it’s always in the head. You either make a decision to go at them or you’re going to be a spectator.”
Fixtures against All Blacks have become so rare – England have met New Zealand only twice since 2014 – that Saturday’s collision has generated excitement through its sheer scarcity value.
Jones has repeatedly referenced England’s win ratio of 19 per cent against the traditional powerhouse of the sport – comprised of eight wins and one draw in 42 games – to illustrate the challenge that awaits.
“Everyone’s excited. This is like if you’re a mountain climber going to the top of Mount Everest,” Jones said.
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“New Zealand are historically the most successful team in world rugby and the team you want to play against.
“It takes a massive effort to beat them and our players understand that. We’re prepared for it. We’re going after them, they’re not coming after us.”
The All Blacks enter the match armed with a six-Test winning run, but prior to that they had lost six out of their previous eight games to jeopardise the future of head coach Ian Foster.
“We expect the best version of them. It’s the last game of their tour and they want to finish the tour well,” Jones said.
“It’s been a tough old year for them in which they’ve had a lot of criticism, but they ended up winning the Rugby Championship so they did well and that shows how much they can get their mind on the job.
“The history of New Zealand rugby is that once they’ve been beaten by someone, they want to right that and this is obviously the next opportunity they’ve got since the World Cup.
“They’ve got to put pictures of being with the family on the beach, water-skiing, all those beautiful things in New Zealand out of their heads. Sometimes that can be hard, but they’re a good enough team to do that.”
Jones has taken a risk by picking Sam Simmonds at blindside flanker, meaning that along with Vunipola England will have two specialist number eights in the back row.
Marcus Smith continues at fly-half as he searches for the exit from a dip in form, but Jones believes the 23-year-old is experiencing natural teething problems for an emerging player in his position.
“When you’re a young 10 coming through, you start and everyone gets excited, and then the game teaches you that it’s not all about excitement,” he said.
“There’s tough periods in the game, and I haven’t seen a 10 in world rugby not experience it.
“Marcus is going through this extraordinarily quick development as a player. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a 10 develop as quickly as him.
“He understands there are ups and downs, he understands there is praise and there is criticism, and you have got to accept it.”
Comments on RugbyPass
“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
3 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
2 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
3 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
3 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
3 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to comments