Eddie Jones is right to go big for series opener against Australia

Eddie’s right to go big for series opener against Australia as the England head coach is set to pick his big guns to continue eight-match unbeaten run against the Wallabies

  • Eddie Jones is in need of a win after yet another poor Six Nations campaign
  • He is set to revert to type and pick his big guns for series opener in Australia
  • Jones’ side are looking to continue their eight-match winning run over Australia
  • The Wallabies have the quicker side of the two but England will be more powerful

This is a good England team to face Australia and one I think will win by five or six points.

When you are under pressure as an international coach, you revert to type and that’s what Eddie Jones has done for the series opener in Perth by going for his big guns.

I remember a conversation I had with Eddie once. He said: ‘A good big ’un will always beat a good little ’un.’ That’s a mantra he has gone by throughout his career.

Eddie Jones tends to revert to his bigger guns when his back is against the wall as head coach

Eddie has always gone back to size and power when he needs to win. He did it when I coached against him and he picked giants Wendell Sailor and Lote Tuqiri.

I went for a different approach and preferred fast players such as Jason Robinson and Josh Lewsey because I felt we could run Eddie’s Australia off the pitch. But that doesn’t mean being direct and physical is wrong. Far from it.

Before England’s last tour Down Under in 2016, Jones referenced the ‘Bodyline’ Ashes series of 1932-33. Well, I think this series will be Bodyline 2. England will try to out-muscle the Wallabies and smash them up, and have a great forward pack with which to do it.

Five of the eight forwards who will start in Perth are world class — Ellis Genge, Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes, Tom Curry and Billy Vunipola (below) — and should start for England at the World Cup.

England’s pack is definitely good enough to win it, but I’d reiterate Lawes’ best position is second row, not flanker. I also have no problem with him captaining the side. Both Lawes and Owen Farrell are very good leaders and will drive the team around the pitch anyway.

Australia do have the quicker side but England are more powerful. Their pack should be superior and Eddie has also gone for some giant backs such as Joe Cokanasiga on the wing.

It should be enough for victory and England need to win this Test otherwise it could be a long tour. They have been on a downward spiral since the 2019 World Cup final. The team have lost the aura it had when Eddie initially took charge.

Courtney Lawes will win his 94th cap in the first Test having captained England five times

We need to get that back as soon as possible if England are to be World Cup contenders. Winning in Australia is a crucial part of that.

It has been a long time since England last toured and it’s worth noting tours create different atmospheres to Six Nations and autumn campaigns. When you get them right, the feel good factor goes through the roof and you build momentum.

If you were to pick a country to tour, you’d want Australia. England are avoiding the All Blacks and South Africa and right now, the Wallabies are beatable. It’s also a wonderful place to tour, a true sporting nation. The beaches, training grounds, fans and stadiums are fantastic and their rivalry with England delivers great edge.

Billy Vunipola was born in Sydney and will play his 62nd England match in his birth country

I imagine the England camp is hugely excited. There are a few new faces and returning players with a point to prove such as Danny Care and Billy Vunipola. Eddie will relish having the group together and I think he will enjoy being away from England in fresh surroundings.

In three weeks’ time, England will either be back on track or in real trouble. I like the selections of Vunipola and Care for this game — two form players with experience coming into a solid-looking team.

Behind the scrum, England do have questions to answer and I hope some of those can be solved soon.

England last lost to the Wallabies in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at Twickenham losing 33-12

It is no surprise Jones has gone with Marcus Smith at 10 and Farrell at 12. Both are world-class fly-halves but for me it’s a case of either/or in the playmaker position. That said, England don’t really have another inside centre with Manu Tuilagi out injured. This is a problem for Jones.

Three years on from that 2019 World Cup final, we still don’t know what England’s best back division is. That’s why the series is crucial. If England can come away from the three Tests knowing Smith and Farrell are the right long-term midfield partnership that would constitute success whatever the result. 

One of Eddie’s flaws has been the failure to find a replacement for Tuilagi because we can’t bank on his availability. England should have looked to rugby league for the next Tuilagi. Players like him don’t grow on trees, but the physical presence they can provide is invaluable.


Jones has selected a powerful side

Farrell is no shrinking violet and he can do a very good job at 12 but, for me, he is a 10 and I think he prefers that position. That is not to diminish Smith’s ability. He is a wonderful talent, but the question I ask myself is: do England have a back line that would scare the best teams in the world — France, New Zealand and South Africa?

England’s backs do not have the same intimidation factor as those teams. I hope they can find it on the hard tracks of Australia and Smith and Farrell clicking is crucial to that while the presence of Henry Arundell on the bench is exciting.

Let’s not underestimate this Australia side though. They are a coming force and their Super Rugby teams have improved massively. Dave Rennie’s selection has reflected that and he has size as well as pace at his disposal in the shape of Samu Kerevi and Marika Koroibete.

It promises to be some Test match but England should have too much power.




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