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What lies ahead for Eddie Jones and the England team? Four questions

By Online Editors
Eddie Jones at an England training session

Eddie Jones has signed a new contract which will see him remain as England head coach until the World Cup in 2023.

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Here, the PA news agency looks at the challenges ahead after Jones’ signed up again.

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Was it the best time to announce a new contract?

While the world battles against coronavirus there is more focus on those in sport taking pay cuts rather than signing new deals.

It has brought rugby – and sport – to a halt with financial instability rife and Jones had already taken a pay cut of more than 25 per cent before his contract announcement, with the RFU forecasting losses of up to £50m over the next 18 months.

The announcement was delayed by the outbreak and RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney said his thoughts were with everyone impacted by the virus, before adding that in “exceptionally difficult times” he was “pleased to be sharing some good news”.

Can Jones emulate Woodward and turn England into the world’s greatest?

Jones’ ambition in his first four years was to make England the best team in the world and they came within 80 minutes of that before losing last year’s World Cup final to South Africa.

His new contract will see him overtake Sir Clive Woodward, who coached England to World Cup glory in 2003, as England’s longest-serving boss.

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Jones has doubled down on his goal now that he has signed a new deal, saying: “Now we want to be the team that is remembered as being the greatest team the game has ever seen. It’s a big ambition but I believe we are capable of doing it.”

It will be another long road but he has the foundations to build on.

Can Jones use the lockdown to develop the character of his squad?

Jones has called on his squad to show they can become a “better citizen” during the coronavirus crisis.

He said: “Rugby is a game that has always espoused teamwork and one of the things we talk about with the England side all the time is how you can become a better team-mate. Now for everyone, it’s how you become a better citizen.”

After Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish was forced to apologise after flaunting the lockdown at the weekend, Jones’ rugby stars can prove themselves to be the citizens he wants.

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What is next on the agenda?

England are scheduled for a summer tour to Japan in July but that looks increasingly unlikely to go ahead. The RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney said a decision will be made by the end of April and they remain in dialogue with World Rugby.

Beyond that there is the prospect of possibly finishing the 2020 Six Nations tournament later in the year.

Several matches were postponed, including England’s clash against Italy, and there is no guarantee the competition will restart. If there is a resumption England, who lie joint top of the table with France, have a shot at winning the title.

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Jon 6 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 8 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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