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Eddie Jones names the role model the injured Jack Willis should look to for inspiration

By PA
(Photo by David Rogers/The RFU Collection via Getty Images)

Eddie Jones has insisted England are suffering from the drop in aggression that is evident across rugby and football due to the absence of spectators at grounds. Owen Farrell’s side opened their Guinness Six Nations title defence with a dismal defeat to Scotland before returning to Twickenham a week later to comfortably dispatch Italy without hitting top gear.

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Jones has promised England will improve again for their round three appointment with Wales but in the meantime, he has been examining a study into Austrian Bundesliga team Red Bull Salzburg showing the impact of playing behind closed doors.

The research demonstrates that a fifth fewer “emotional situations” take place when stadiums are empty of fans, meaning a reduction in on-field arguments and flashpoints. Jones insisted the trend is especially impactful on rugby.

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Eddie Jones on Jack Willis’ injury and England’s win over Italy

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Eddie Jones on Jack Willis’ injury and England’s win over Italy

“Most teams are a bit up and down at the moment. The arousal level is the thing we are looking at most,” said Jones, an Umbro ambassador. “Games are tending to be less aggressive generally in rugby and it has been the same in football. There is research that shows the arousal level has dropped and that the type of play and the type of behaviour has been less aggressive. In our sport that is a particularly important area.

“We have tried to investigate that. We don’t have any solutions at the moment but that is the thing we are looking at most. If you look at our first performance against Scotland, we lacked our normal aggression, we lacked our normal go-at-them type of game. We were a little bit better against Italy, but still not where we need to be.

“If I look at Liverpool, who are an aggressive team, they are really at their best when they are pressing hard and they attack hard and their whole crowd is aggressive. It is never as straightforward as one thing, but I think that is definitely an issue at the moment. We saw a bit of it in the autumn and are starting to see more now.”

Among the players to suffer amid England’s sluggish start to the championship is Farrell, the Saracens playmaker who is struggling to stamp his authority on games amid an ongoing decline in form. Farrell’s England place is not under threat, but Jones accepts his captain is off-key with the reasons for his slump hard to unravel.

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“There have been very few players in our team who have been at their best. Owen isn’t one of those,” Jones said. “He knows that and he’s working very hard to get his game back to the standard that he wants and we want. There is no doubt he’ll get back there.

“There could be something going on at home, there could be something going on at his club that’s affecting him, we don’t know. He’s not at his best at the moment and we’re working really hard to make sure he gets to his best.”

One player who will play no further part in the Six Nations is Jack Willis, who is facing a lengthy spell in rehabilitation after suffering extensive knee damage when he was cleared out of a ruck by Italy on Saturday. Jones has urged the Wasps turnover specialist to look to World Cup winner Richard Hill for inspiration.

“There’s no reason why he can’t come back bigger and better than he is now. These sorts of significant injuries, particularly when you get two of them, are a real test of your resilience, your mental resilience,” Jones said. “He’s got a great example on our staff in Richard Hill, who had to have multiple knee operations and kept coming back better.”

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T
TT 1 hour ago
'No, it’s not, that’s the truth' - Andy Farrell rubbishes Ireland subplot

ABs by 4……


IF

The Razor gang has given the AB’s a game plan A, B, C & etc (unlike so many AB games since 2016). &


IF

AB’s play 80+ minutes. &


IF

ABs do their individual & team jobs error free (‘ish)  (unlike so many AB team since 2016). &


IF

All the ‘critical V Ireland’ AB form mobile forwards stay on field for the 80min S.Barrett, Sititi, Savea, and Vaa’i swap with Cane when he tires & Tuipulotu comes on. Finau back up. &


IF

The 10's get a better ‘cunning game plan’ than BB, ie his kicky, kicky, kicky, kicky, kicky, kicky, kicky, ETC! (& MacK does have a better game plan). &


IF

Aumua can throw to lineouts . &


IF

The AB’s can remember their lineout calls (unlike too many V England games 1, 2 & 3). &


IF

Williams can be coached to stop being sucked into experienced tactics to drop him to the ground. &


IF

The AB coaches, teach all ABs some ‘soccer like’ drama queen fouling acting skills to make clear to the ref 1 of the most common Irish tactics ie obstruction by ‘stray’ decoy attackers around contact zone (tackle, ruck, maul). &


IF

The ABs have their arm out away if not tackling any, again, decoy attackers  (or defenders) that run into them to try milk penalties as England did (eg penalty  against  Cane the worst). &


IF

S.Barrett can change & captain with assertiveness & presence to even be noticed by the ref (way to passive). &


IF

There's no food poisoning.

7 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
How can Scott Robertson revive the All Blacks’ playmaking ‘triple threat’?

HAHA don't ask me that! You tell me, if McMillian was the AB coach would he be selecting Dmac over Mo'unga!?!


Look, Dmac is clearly first choice. Razor said BB was a selection "just for this game", Dmac was always leading the two big ones. They rotated BB and Mounga the same way in 22.


Firstly, I'm a fan of BB when he's not gun shy. Do I think he's a first five? Of course not, he can hardly pass the ball 5 meters. Do I think he's likely to play again after being concussed? No, end of discussion.


Do I hate Mo'unga? No, of course not. He was the only reason we got within cooee of SA, him finding his footing at International level was their main reason for success. Do I think that resulted in him being a game orchestra or having played well in black the years prior to that? Of course not. Maybe you were just on the end of the better AB performances fran, outside of those games I'd suggest he wasn't as influential as you think. He has a good kicking game for sure, but it's certainly not up there with Carter or even some current 10s, and it's certainly not much better than DMac's (understand you own opinion still won't say that) despite him having a lot more development and experience.


He would obviously get a great opportunity from Razor if he came back, and DMac would possibly find he can be a good fullback or bench player under Razors guidance, but if you're wrong and Dmac actually performed better than Richie running the show, then he'll having Damien as his 10 come RWC time.


TLDR, JWH is a Cantab, Richie is one of my favourite players, we just think you've got the wrong context in this article and I think you're way off the mark on Richies strengths.

46 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ How can Scott Robertson revive the All Blacks’ playmaking ‘triple threat’? How can Scott Robertson revive the All Blacks’ playmaking ‘triple threat’?
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