England aren't starting nine forwards versus Georgia, but Eddie Jones has still 'invented' a new position for one player in his XV
Eddie Jones began the latest England Test week by teasing how he might start nine forwards against Georgia and he has now invented new terminology around the position Jonathan Joseph will play at Twickenham on Saturday.
Jones’ ‘start-nine-forwards’ ruse didn’t come to pass when he eventually announced his starting XV on Thursday to begin the four-game Autumn Nations Cup campaign. However, his out-of-the-box thinking instead switched to his commentary surrounding Joseph, the right-winger who is more recognised as a Test level centre with England.
Joseph started at outside centre in the Six Nations title-clinching win over Italy on October 31 but he now moves one position wider to accommodate the inclusion of Ollie Lawrence for his first Test start after debuting off the bench in Rome.
Lawrence will form a midfield partnership with Henry Slade but rather than get hung up on the specific outside and inside positioning, Jones reflected how such descriptions are now obsolete in the modern game and went on to deliver a new hybrid-style description of the role winger Joseph will play in tandem with Lawrence and Slade.
“That old notion of a 12 and 13 is almost a thing of the past,” declared England boss Jones. “You have two centres that are able to play either/or at set-piece which is one-fifth of possession you get when they play 12 and 13. But the rest of the game they are finding their position – from kick return there is no set position.
Here are your teams for Saturday's clash between @GeorgianRugby and @EnglandRugby ? pic.twitter.com/qAi3R81TiN
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 12, 2020
“In fact, the 13 generally goes to the wing on kick return. So all of those things are a work in progress and it’s the players’ communication and awareness on the field that gets tested. We are delighted to play JJ on the wing. We saw him get his most run metres on the wing against Ireland where he was absolutely electric – and he will play almost as a floating centre for us. He will be able to go anywhere on the field.”
Jones added how impressed he has been with newcomer Lawrence, adding that the rapport he has already built with Joseph is an encouraging sign for this Saturday and beyond with England. “He [Lawrence] is a different sort of boy, a lot quieter around the group. Very diligent in terms of his analysis, very diligent in terms of wanting feedback on his performance, has established good relationships with his wingers.
“And JJ has been fantastic for him. He has shared a lot of information with him. On Wednesday at training JJ was giving him tips on what he needs to do. That is one of the most impressive things in the camp so far – I have really been delighted about the attitude of the players.
“We have got guys who we know have got 100 caps now and 50 caps and their ability to share information with the younger guys, make sure they are bringing those younger players on, and the younger players understand their responsibility of pushing those older players.
“There is a nice bit of co-operative competition between the squad which has really pleased me. I have loved the attitude of the players at the moment. They are so keen to keep progressing forward and the Georgia game is a good game for us.
“It’s a tough game because all the expectation is for us to win easily. The narrative about the game is it’s supposed to be an entertaining, but we know we are playing against a team that is going to be hell bent on making the game difficult, hell bent on making it a physical wrestle and if you have a physical wrestle it’s hard to move the ball. It’s a tough game for us and I have really been pleased with the way the players have approached the game.”
Jones has made a big deal lately of wanting his England players to expand the traditional horizons of their specific positions. Last weekend he suggested Bern Earl could play in the backline, with Ollie Thorley going in the opposite direction. It’s a desire for flexibility heightened by how Bledisloe IV panned out between Australia and New Zealand.
“It’s experimentation for us,” he said about the hybrid player idea. “We’re looking at how we can best cope to handle difficult situations. In the last two rounds of Test matches, I have seen teams reduced to 13 men which we were against Wales. You saw New Zealand and Australia down to 13 men at various stages, so (you need) the ability to have players who can fill in and execute a particular role that you need at that time.
“There is going to be a continuation with the high tackle law. It’s a very necessary law but it does lead to players being red-carded and yellow-carded because of the way the game is played. Rugby players traditionally drop their body height late.
“Any young rugby player is being taught to do that and at times it is almost impossible for the tackler to adjust their height because of that. That period of time when you have got 14 on 13 is a real possibility and we are trying to create players who can give us what we need in those situations.”
"He's one of the few forwards in English rugby that is good at pick and go so he brings that to the game" ?https://t.co/YapKb0HXd7
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 12, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
In the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getitng to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
5 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
6 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
5 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
6 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
54 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
6 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
54 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
54 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
18 Go to comments