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'Is there really no better 9 and 10 in this country?': England's fifth placed finish has fans lost over Eddie Jones' continued selections
England slumped to their second fifth-placed finish of the Eddie Jones’ era with their third loss of the Six Nations against Ireland in Dublin, piling on more pressure on the embattled squad and coach.
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After capturing the Six Nations title and Autumn Nations Cup in 2020, 2021 has not gone to plan with a stuttering campaign that just saw wins over Italy and France. All of England’s losses came away from home as they struggled to beat rivals Scotland, Ireland and Wales.
Jones has been in this situation with England before, after back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017 the side hit a roadblock in 2018 that forced changes to management and the playing squad in the England side.
Fans are sensing this is a similar fork in the road, with many ‘lost’ with the insistent selection of non-performing stars that have been afforded protection under Jones.
One fan wrote he ‘really struggles to understand Eddie Jones’, and asked if there was a better halves option in the country other than Ben Youngs and George Ford. He believed the selection of Farrell as a 12 and captain has ruined his development as a 10.
I really struggle to understand Eddie Jones and English rugby in general. Is there really no better 9 and 10 in this country? This after you ruined a potential world class number 10 by making him a terrible number 12 and captain.
Just bizarre. #IREvENG
— Carlos Nunes (@carlosnunes1984) March 20, 2021
Other fans suggested that some of Jones’ favourite players were ready to be offloaded in favour of some fresh blood, offering up a host of high profile names that have been mainstays under Jones.
Former England international David Flatman suggested that even those discarded earlier in Jones’ reign are ready to recalled on Premiership form, highlighting former squad members and Harlequins pair Mike Brown and Danny Care.
Time to transition Mako Vunipola, Jamie George, Mark Wilson, Billy Vunipola, Ben Youngs, George Ford, Owen Farrell & Elliot Daly out of the team.
Let’s have a look at Beno Obano, Tom Dunn, Sam Simmonds, Alex Dombrandt, Ben Spencer, Joe Simmonds, Marcus Smith and Piers O’Conor.
ADVERTISEMENT— HandsintheRuck (@Handsintheruck1) March 20, 2021
Eddie Jones says England ended the 6 nations better than they started, can anyone explain this nonsense @EnglandRugby
— Phil Spivey ? (@phil_spivey) March 20, 2021
Never mind the whole Sam Simmonds debate, what about Danny Care and Mike Brown? Both in immense form. Brown may be better than ever.
— David Flatman (@davidflatman) March 20, 2021
Get Eddie Jones out of the England set-up and send Owen Farrell off with him. England have gone backwards since RWC2019 – no intelligence, no plan, no leadership. We need a massive reboot. @bbcrugbyunion #ireveng
— Gandybob ? (@Gandybob) March 20, 2021
?
— Mike Brown (@mikebrown_15) March 20, 2021
Something wrong with coaching/leadership with England-look like best team in the world when on top but crumble when under the pump especially with discipline
— Maunders (@mowbray6) March 20, 2021
England are the most indisciplined team in world rugby and have been constantly under Eddie Jones. However the team are world champions at running up and down stairs with bags of cement on their shoulders which paid dividends in the slap they got today in Dublin!! https://t.co/bem5HU8zvm
— derekross (@derekrossreal) March 20, 2021
Must be nice for fans of some nations seeing their teams developing and evolving.
Gutting to feel that Eddie Jones is still gonna be backing his favourites for the next 2 years!
ADVERTISEMENT— Nick Thompson (@nickster_cymru) March 21, 2021
Dreadful from Eddie Jones. Almost pathetic. No surprise to then see his side disorganised performance. Out coached …again.
— Dave Wood (@davewood5426) March 21, 2021
Eddie Jones insisting England are on the right track despite losing reverse triple crown. Yet ir the ABs lose to one of these teams its chaos. There's your difference in thinking. Basically says winning against NZ comes down to a one off performance. Not alot of hope there Eddie
— Farmboyraver (@AndyMuir22) March 20, 2021
The sentiment of the fans and pundits alike was similar to the view of Jones, who suggested in his post-match interview with ITV that change is on the way but made the puzzling claim that the side finished better than they started.
“It has been a tough one,” said Jones, “We haven’t been at our best but we finished the tournament a lot better than we started.”
Jones said that the side needs a ‘reset’ less than two years out from the World Cup, which he said is the right time.
“We need to reset the team and we will continue with that process.
“We’re going through a transition period in the team.
“This is almost a natural time for that to happen with two years before the World Cup.”
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