Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...

Eddie Jones: England head coach wants 'better rugby' during Six Nations

Written by 
Published in Rugby
Monday, 25 January 2021 12:59

Boss Eddie Jones says England will be looking to "adapt and evolve" their gameplan during the Six Nations.

England enjoyed a fruitful end to 2020, winning both last year's Championship and the Autumn Nations Cup.

But they rarely deviated from a pragmatic style, which Jones has attributed to weather conditions and the way the game is refereed.

"Maybe we haven't played as well as we could have - and we want to play better," Jones said.

"Our goal in the Six Nations is to play better rugby. It doesn't matter how many times you kick the ball, it's the quality of rugby you play."

England start the defence of their title against Scotland at Twickenham on 6 February.

The Scots are looking for a first victory in London since 1983, but came away with a staggering 38-38 draw on their last visit in 2019.

In an in-depth interview on the latest Rugby Union Weekly podcast, Jones added: "I tried to explain to the media why we were playing like we did, and people had judgment on it, which is great, because the more people who talk about rugby the better it is. We love it, we love people talking about different styles.

"We don't say: 'we are going to play like this'. We want to play good, effective rugby. And effective rugby is getting the ball to the other end of the field and scoring points. That is the currency we play by.

"If we can do it by running and passing and being attractive, then we want to do that. If we can do it by kicking, we will do it that way.

"So we are always looking to adapt and evolve our game. And the game you play is dependent on the opposition and the referee."

'You can't coach instinct'

In a bid to give England more attacking options, Jones has brought the livewire Bristol scrum-half Harry Randall and Wasps' dynamic wing-turned-centre Paolo Odogwu into his 28-man squad.

"Quoting [former Australia coach] Bob Dwyer, you are always looking for players with the things you can't coach. And the things you can't coach are instinct and intuition," Jones explained.

The inclusion of the diminutive Randall is a break from convention, with Jones usually preferring scrum-halves with a more prosaic approach, such as cap centurion Ben Youngs and Gloucester's Willi Heinz, the two number nines he took to the 2019 World Cup.

But Jones says Randall has been on his radar for a while and has "kicked on" this season at Ashton Gate.

"He does things ahead of the game, which I like, and he backs himself. He's fast and he's tough and he's cheeky," he said.

'Revitalising the squad'

Both Randall and Odogwu are only 23, with Jones continuing to adjust the age profile of his squad before the World Cup in France in 2023.

"We like the way we are revitalising the squad, slowly and surely. We brought through nine new caps last year and as you can see the age profile of the squad is pretty good," he continued.

"We will continue to do that building up to the World Cup in France in 2023. There is a bit of a formula in creating a World Cup squad.

"You have got to win at the start of the four years, as that is currency and money in the bank. And then you have to work out what the profile of your squad needs to be.

"You need a squad at the World Cup that is an average age of about 28, and average caps of about 40.

"We think we are in a reasonable position."

Read 261 times

Soccer

Marta, Orlando Pride win 1st NWSL Championship

Marta, Orlando Pride win 1st NWSL Championship

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsKANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Barbra Banda's goal stood up as the winner to l...

Ipswich vs Man United: VAR stopped by fire alarm

Ipswich vs Man United: VAR stopped by fire alarm

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsVAR was temporarily suspended during Manchester United's clash at I...

Amorim era begins with fastest Utd goal of season

Amorim era begins with fastest Utd goal of season

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsRúben Amorim was made to wait just 81 seconds for the first goal of...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

'Phenomenal' Pippen Jr. shines in dad's ex-arena

'Phenomenal' Pippen Jr. shines in dad's ex-arena

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsScotty Pippen Jr. already had plenty of fond memories of watching h...

Ball's career-best 50 not enough as Hornets fall

Ball's career-best 50 not enough as Hornets fall

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLaMelo Ball became the third-youngest player in NBA history, and th...

Baseball

Hays, Finnegan, Rodgers among new free agents

Hays, Finnegan, Rodgers among new free agents

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNEW YORK -- Outfielder Austin Hays and right-hander Kyle Finnegan -...

Judge giving Soto space amid free agency frenzy

Judge giving Soto space amid free agency frenzy

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNEW YORK -- Aaron Judge is one of the few people on Earth who can r...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated