Rugby Pod's damning England verdict: 'There is no free-thinking in there at all and that comes from having a coach like Eddie Jones'
Andy Goode has become the latest former England international to take Eddie Jones to task over last Saturday’s shock Guinness Six Nations loss to Scotland which ended their eight-match winning streak that stretched back to last February’s defeat to France.
England had won Six Nations and Autumn Nations Cup titles during that unbeaten run without playing spectacular attacking rugby and their limited attacking game crumbled last weekend at Twickenham when they were held to a limited amount of possession and kicked away a lot of what they did have.
Goode, an out-half who started in seven of his 17 England caps won between 2005 and 2009, has now joined the chorus of disenchantment surrounding the current attacking approach of Jones’ England, questioning their style of play compared to how they went about their business some years ago.
Appearing on the latest episode of The Rugby Pod along with co-host Jim Hamilton, the ex-Scotland lock who was revelling in his country’s surprise win last weekend, Goode blamed Jones for England’s malfunction and worries about the direction they are going in.
“The media have been saying for a long time – and I have been part of that – that England have got Plan A and no Plan B, what’s your Plan B, where are you evolving to, what does your attack look like?
Episode 24 is now LIVE over on our YouTube channel!
Big Jim is loving life after Scotland’s Calcutta Cup Victory, we take a look ahead to the next round of the Six Nations and dissect the latest Premiership action ?
?: https://t.co/8qmKaJDRbl pic.twitter.com/Uk73MPe13B
— The Rugby Pod (@TheRugbyPod) February 9, 2021
“How do we go from Eddie Jones playing Scotland a few years ago, we put 61 points on them at Twickenham, we played ball in hand, heads-up attack – where has all that gone in England’s performances? Yeah, we have won games but we have won it in a turgid way, we have won it in a way where we are just battering teams to death, outmuscling them. All the things that Eddie says, we want to be the toughest team to play against, we want to be the greatest ever team, it’s all just words, Eddie.
“The attack is non-existent, non-existent around an understanding of how to manipulate a defence, how to move a defence around. There was a seven-on-three at one point (last weekend) and you have just kicked it. You’re like, ‘Hold on a minute, these boys are just programmed to play a certain way, there is no free-thinking in there at all and that comes from having a coach like Eddie Jones’.
“Eddie Jones has been super successful but with all the success and all the pats on the back that you get, equally when you have had a performance like that in a massive competitive fixture, it’s probably England’s worst performance.
“I have played better than that when I played and I was s*** at international rugby, to be honest. Some of the performances we had when we were transitioning from the ’03 winners (World Cup) to whoever is in next because Jonny (Wilkinson) was injured, we were s***e but we weren’t as s***e as that at the weekend and they [England] are meant to be the second-best team in the world at the moment.”
"You guys [the media] must have a new thesaurus because I always thought slump was having three or four bad games and it now must be one game, is it?"
– England boss Jones backs much criticised skipper Farrell #SixNations #ENGvSCOhttps://t.co/f9mepp5Sr9
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 9, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
smith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
36 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.
9 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.
36 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.
2 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
36 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 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
36 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.
36 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.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
36 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
36 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
36 Go to comments