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What Jones makes of North vs South debate following Autumn Nations

(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

With the 2021 Autumn Nations Series now over, there has been much debate since the last weekend about what the results mean for northern hemisphere sides compared to the rival teams from the southern hemisphere, but it’s a debate that England boss Eddie Jones doesn’t have any time for. 

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The All Blacks were beaten on successive Saturdays by Ireland and France, the Wallabies lost to Scotland and Wales inside six days while Jones’ own England side prevented the Springboks from finishing their European tour unbeaten with an 80th-minute penalty from Marcus Smith proving decisive at Twickenham last Saturday. 

With the next World Cup just 22 months away from starting in France, the November results are being used as evidence that the northern hemisphere can be optimistic about what might unfold at a tournament where eight of the nine previous winners have hailed from the south, England the only exception with their 2003 victory. 

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The pool draw for 2023 has pitted France versus the All Blacks, Ireland versus the Springboks, Wales against the Wallabies to name just some of the group stage fixtures, but the England coach Jones has insisted he has never been a coach who has looked at international rugby results from a two-hemisphere perspective.  

“I am not too concerned about the northern hemisphere,” he said when asked what the Autumn Nations Series results meant for the Six Nations teams compared to their Rugby Championship rivals. “The only thing I am concerned about is England and I know we are going to be in a better position after the Six Nations because we will keep improving.

“I am not a big northern, southern hemisphere person having coached in both of them,” continued the former Wallabies 2003 World Cup boss who was a consultant for the Springboks at the finals four years later. “They come up here in November and the southern hemisphere teams have always operated like club teams. They basically get together at the end of Super Rugby and they are together until November so they have that opportunity, they have a long period of time together which is an advantage but there is also a disadvantage. 

“They are playing at the end of a season that for most of them probably started in February or March. There are the pros and cons of it. When England go to Australia in July 2022 we are going there on the back of a season that started in September for the players but we will also have the opportunity to have time together on tour which is invaluable so that is the positive. The negative is you have got a bit of fatigue. 

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“But the other overriding factor in all of those pros and cons is that the Covid situation has presented problematic team environments. We are so lucky to be able to play a high-level sport in such a difficult time but given the restriction of the team environments sometimes it gets difficult for the players,” continued Jones, who headed to France on Monday on a recce of the facilities there for the 2023 World Cup.

“You think about South Africa, they have been on the road away from home for at least 18 weeks so that does present some challenges and there may be some mental fatigue that gets exacerbated by those conditions. We certainly found the last Six Nations as a team very difficult with the restrictions we had in the team environment so that puts another layer on that equation.”

England are set for a three-match series away to the Wallabies next summer, Ireland are due to play the same amount of games away to the All Blacks as are Wales when they visit the Springboks and Scotland who are set to play in Argentina.  

 

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J
JPM 29 minutes ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

Unfortunately you don't know anything about French rugby, coaches and players but still making a lot of assumptions and judgements to push your prefabricated and simplistic point of view that Dupont is manipulating everything and is a bad guy. I am not a NZ rugby specialist and wouldn't dare make such theories about what is going on within the ABs team. Therefore my advice to you is to do like Dupont and stay humble when you don't know all the background of the issues !!!


Firstly if you knew a bit of Galthié, he is not the type of coach who is going to ask advice to his players and even his captain about team selection. He is as stubborn as you...


Second Ramos has played a lot of times as 10 with Toulouse and therefore Dupont (in particular when Ntamack is injured and unfortunately it has often happened recently and for long periods). He even played 10 during the last 3 games of the 2024 6N and this was far better performance than the first two games with Jalibert as 10.


Thirdly Jalibert lacked of respect to a La Rochelle player so your theory is once again out.


Fourth as I explained to you Galthié went for a 6-2 bench and Jalibert can only play 10 which doesn't fit that plan. Furthermore as 15 Buros is better under high balls than Ramos and everybody is prepared for a tactical kicking game.


So you can blame Galthié for a lot of things (as you clearly enjoy doing at the end of your post and you should be very happy as an AB fan) but certainly not Dupont. Sorry once more for your conspiracy theory.


And don't worry about potential disharmony in the French team; they are excellent mates around their captain. Jalibert is well known in the French rugby circles to have not a strong character (and we saw that in the WC quarter finals as he is very nervous in any decisive international game unlike Ntamack and Ramos as for his late penalty kick vs England this year).


In conclusion enjoy the game tmrw night. It is good that the ABs are very upset; we should watch a great game of rugby. I hope for running rugby and not too much kicking. With 5 key players injured on our side (Ntamack, Baille, Atonio, Cros and Penaud) and 2 on your side I and various French fans see you as favourites. I obviously hope for another result.


If you are interested you can read a good article in the Guardian on the subject of France-NZ games.

92 Go to comments
K
KB 31 minutes ago
The 'one difference' between Boks and the back-to-back All Blacks

Consistency hasnt been there they have many great players SA were also not unbeaten in the 2023 WC - NZ were in 2015 WC McCaw and Carter Nonu and Smith - SA did not have those Marque players in those postions in 2019 or 2023 - I wouldnt rank them ahead of the 20I5 ABs - They clocked up 60 points against France in the QF - Furthermore I do not believe for one moment SA won 2023 fairly no way - they were so favoured it became obvious that behind the scenes SA the nation bought the title - Their last 3 matches were won by a solitary point there were many contentious decisions that went their way that it became obvious it wasnt coincidence - Sport has been hijacked by a satanic cult just as is Politics

Some players coaches officials and sponsors are involved - they know who they are - its called Freemasonry - any sport that allows betting is corrupt - its not all about money either for these parasites its also about control - Lots of American NFL players have spoken openly about games being scripted - Football is also rigged Referees have been caught on film showing freemason hand signs - The 95 RWC final ranks as the highest and most obvious attempt at cheating There was no way SA were going to allow NZ to gate crash Nelson Mandelas reunification party - NZ were so good they had to posion almost the entire team to get a 3 point win - a Hollywood Movie ( theres your Red Flag ) was made about SAs triumph called Invictus


William Henley wrote a poem called Invictus


It starts


Out of the night that covers me BLACK ( All Blacks ) as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever GODS maybe for my unconquerable Soul ...( Olan says INVICTUS is an evil Malevolent entity who corrupted the Titans ... this is Mandelas double meaning speech ( hes a fraud ) - of thanks for helping overcome SA's adversary NZ - There is only ONE true God Yahuah - Only a false god would be complicit in Cheating Corruption and Harming others to win a RWC for a sick and sinful Nation ) the poem ends with


I am the CAPTAIN of my soul


SA will forever bear the stain of guilt and disgrace over their involvement in poisoning the ABs a day before the 95 RWC Final

10 Go to comments
C
CO 1 hour ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

I cannot believe that you don't think the French rugby team coach and captain are not discussing putting Jalibert on the bench in favour of Duponts club teammate that doesn't even play at 10.


This is a terrible, massive insult to a 10 and I'm sure Dupont would also be very enraged if benched for a player that doesn't even play halfback.


A good captain would've insisted to the coach that it was an idea of madness and either select Jalibert or replace him with another 10 if you want him to be reserve.


Jalibert may not be the world's finest tacklers but that's often not a tens main strength that the loose forwards and second five cover. An intercept pass is never great but they happen.


When any player is playing for his club then it's club first, respect doesn't need to be shown to opposition players simply because they're internationals.


Who exactly are you claiming Jalibert hasn't respected? If it's Toulouse international players then it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this bench demotion out.


The outcome of selecting Jalibert to the bench and he then throwing his croissants out the window of the team bus immediately prior to playing the Allblacks is a disaster that will be team disharmony as any team mates of Jalibert are in a state of anger and revolt so a performance that will be sub optimal against a team that is thirsting for revenge against France.


I don't know about you but the Allblacks are very upset they've lost twice in a row to France and want to put out a statement performance so this preparation by Galthie of creating havoc looks to me like a coach that is clueless.

92 Go to comments
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