Eddie's selection is muddled and full of mixed messages - Andy Goode
There have been more mixed messages from Eddie Jones this week but, regardless of what anyone else says, his team selection suggests he knows his job is safe.
Tommy Freeman, Guy Porter and Jack van Poortvliet are all very good players who have had breakthrough seasons in the Premiership. They deserve their shot and we want players to be picked on form but there’s no way Jones would be thrusting them all into the starting XV at the same time if his job was on the line.
Many people will think it should be if they lose a series to Australia on the back of consecutive poor Six Nations campaigns and some England fans will have at the back of their minds the hope that a coaching change may be made if another defeat ensues.
However, if there was a time for such a change, it would have been after either one of those past two Six Nations tournaments. Perhaps there was nobody at the RFU with the wherewithal to do it or maybe this is all part of the plan but Eddie’s latest team selection strongly indicates his position is secure.
There’s no confusion about that but there most certainly is when it comes to his discourse on this tour. He said last week that the more players played together, the more they would work well under pressure and that he hadn’t had the chance to pick a team like this for a long time.
One week on and he has broken up at least a couple of key combinations voluntarily and it’s hard to see the thinking behind his selection, especially if it’s cohesion he’s looking for.
Danny Care and Marcus Smith clearly already have a good partnership at club level but the former has been dropped to the bench and both of them are used to working in tandem with Joe Marchant, who drops out of the match day 23 altogether.
Nobody is suggesting that either Care or Marchant had the best game of their careers but how do you build that cohesion if you chop and change and go with a new-look back division that have never played together before?
It’s also easy to blame the backs but it was up front where England lost last weekend’s game and there is just one enforced change in the pack with Sam Underhill coming in for the injured Tom Curry.
The fact that Jones has picked a six-two split on the bench this time around shows he knows that but he’s obviously trusting the same personnel to up their game when it comes to the forwards.
It might benefit England for Owen Farrell to play more like a traditional number 12 rather than interchanging with Smith as much as he did and there are other adjustments that clearly need to be made in attack but that’s all unlikely to change the end result if there isn’t a marked improvement up front.
Plus, the one obvious change to be made in the backs after last week would’ve been promoting Henry Arundell to the starting XV after his eye-catching impact in the final 10 minutes but Freeman has leapfrogged him instead.
The mixed messages don’t stop with selection either. It’s not long ago that Eddie was critical of Rassie Erasmus for speaking out about referees but now he’s back talking about them and saying they try to even things up when a man is sent off.
I don’t think that was the case with James Doleman and, even if it was a fair point generally, I’m surprised World Rugby haven’t had more to say about that comment to be honest.
The mixed messages off the field do seep into how England play on the field as well and I know they want to play quite an unstructured game in attack but for the life of me I still can’t really work out what they’re trying to do.
England kicked the ball in open play just 18 times last week, which is clearly very different from what we have become accustomed to seeing from them.
Some of that is explained by the opposition and the conditions but it’ll be interesting to see if there is a different approach in this second Test. If nothing else, England could certainly have used the boot to manage the game more effectively in the second half.
I know attack coach Martin Gleeson, though, and it isn’t in his DNA to rely heavily on the kicking game so he’ll want to see his charges playing in the right areas more but I can’t see England just reverting to type and trying to bludgeon the Wallabies up front and with the boot in order to get a result.
More people than ever before have asked me this week whether Eddie will get the sack if England lose this series so there is obviously a narrative building but, while the head coach’s messaging might be muddled at times, the RFU’s stance seems pretty clear to me.
Comments on RugbyPass
SBW is fast becoming a laughing stock, his misplaced comments & lack of insight Is actually pretty sad.
6 Go to commentsJust well you guys are couch 🛋 potatoes selector's, picking a team of greenhorns to play England! “What are you people smoking?” The halfbacks will be Christie, Fakatava, Perenara Props; Newell, Bower, Lomax, Tunga'fasi, Hookers; Asosa Amua when fit, Taylor, Samisoni,
11 Go to commentsQuite frankly, all this is a bit pathetic. The first time Wales get the Wooden Spoon in 21 years and everyone is on the bandwagon for a ‘play-off’ game. Wales have no obligation to Georgia and no obligation to the rest of the Six Nations to play such a game. If they want Georgia in so badly then they need to include South Africa into a Northern Hemisphere competition with 2 leagues of 4 teams with the top 2 competing for the Championship. Sadly, this will end Triple Crowns and Grand Slams forever. Is this really what you want?
4 Go to commentsI think Finau to start Blackadder to come on. Poss Prokter instead of Ioane, haven't seen much from Reiko so far this year.
11 Go to commentsJoe will have had a good chat with Dave Rennie, a smart move to begin with while it’s doubtful Fast Eddie will be consulted? Plenty of Aus players hitting top form so they should go OK.
3 Go to commentsMmm. Not sure I like this article or see it as necessary.
6 Go to commentsBlackadder but no Finau! 😀 It’s Razor so you are probably right, plus Taylor at 2…
11 Go to commentsThe strongest possible AB side would actually include Aaron Smith, Bodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Leicester Fainga'anuku, Shannon Frizzel.. don’t get me started on the rest of the injury hit brigade that got flung on the heap so left. Many a whole not getting filled as of yet.
11 Go to commentsI don’t think anyone knows what Schmidt will do, one thing is certain it ain’t gonna be all the picks we on the keyboard will think. My impression of him is that he will be looking at who can step up and what is the best combination. He will ignore individuals as he looks for guys who can build a powerful team and not just guys who can make a flashy run or ignore the winger as they want to score themselves.
3 Go to commentsSome dumb selections there. Not Porecki Not Donaldson Not Gordon Not Lonegran - both Not Nic White - Fines instead Not Liam Wright Not Paisami Definitely not Vunivalu Other than that not bad.
3 Go to commentsI've never been convinced that Patty T is a test match all black. Otherwise I probably agree it's the best side available to beat the poms. Caveat that Codie Taylor is yet to be seen and could very likely warrant selection by June. I hope that Razor brings the young loosies, half backs and locks into the training squad and develops/ selects the best
11 Go to commentsYou doing the same thing I disliked about the example of Samisoni Taukei'aho, Nick. He’s great the way he is, you’re trying to do what modern-day coaches frustrate me doing, turning everyone into the perfect athlete. Next thing you’ll be telling me you’ll bench him until he’s hit that arbitrary marker, and can’t overtake the current guy who’s doing all his workons. He’s a young Kieran Read, through and through, plays wide and has threat, mainly (and evident in your clips) through his two hand carry and speed. Just let him work on that, or whatever he wants, and determine his own future. Play God and you risk the players going sideways, like Read did, instead of being a Toutai Kefu. I mean I was in the same camp for a while, wanting our tight five to have the size, and carry ability, as the teams they were getting beat by. Now I’m starting to believe those teams just have better skilled and practiced individuals, bigger by upwards of 5kg sometimes, sure, but more influentially they have those intrinsic skills of trust and awareness. Basically our guys just didn’t know wtf they were doing. Don’t think I’m trying to prove a point here but hasn’t Caleb Clarke been in much better form this year, or does he just ‘look’ better now that he’s not always trying to use his size?
44 Go to commentsThe pack lacks a little in height for the line out and I wouldn’t be completely convinced by some of the combinations till we see it in action.
11 Go to commentsThe side is good but lacks experience. International playing bona fides udually trumps super rugby form for good reason. And incumbents are usually stuck with. Codie Taylor should start or come off the bench. B Barrett will start at fullback. Blackadder has not earned the position, Finau has. TJs experience and competitiveness earns him a starting role, Christie or Ratima off the bench
11 Go to commentsPretty good side. Scott Barrett should be the captain. Ethan Blackadder a great choice at blindside. He is going to go from strength to strength having made a couple of starts for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson rates him highly. Perenara could start a no 9.
11 Go to commentsI question and with respect. Was enough done over the last few years to bring through new blood knowing the Whitelocks and co couldn’t last forever. There should have been more done to future proof the team. New squad new coach, he and they weren’t set up well. IMO
6 Go to commentsJacobsen will definitely be in the 23
11 Go to commentsLots of discussion points, Ben, but two glaring follies IMO: 1. Blackadder at 6. Has done nothing so far this season to justify his selection. Did you see him going backwards in contact at the weekend? Simply has not got the physical presence at 6: we need a Scott Barrett or a Finau (or wildcard Ah Kuoi), beasts who are big enough to play lock, like Frizzell. If Barret played at 6, Paddy could be joined at lock by Vai’i or one of the young giants we need to promote, like Darry or Lord (if he ever gets on the field). Blackadder best left to join the queue for 7. 2. Not even a mention for Christie? Ratima gets caught at crucial times at the back of the ruck when he hesitates on the pass. The only way he starts would be if Christie and TJ are injured.
11 Go to commentsWhat a dagg in more ways than one
6 Go to commentsRegroup come back next year but sack some of the coaching team and don't be like the ABs last minute sacking. If Crusaders don't do well ABs don't do well.
5 Go to comments