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Eddie Jones: How England's reaction to All Blacks victory proved to be costly in World Cup final
By Online Editors
England head coach Eddie Jones believes his side received too much praise for their World Cup semi-final victory over the All Blacks, which ultimately cost them when it came to playing in the final a week later.
The English stunned the rugby world with a stunning 19-7 win over the reigning champion, with their defensive fortitude and tactical nous enough to outshine the Kiwis and book their spot in the World Cup final.
However, Jones' side couldn't back that impressive performance up seven days later, as they fell to a formidable Springboks outfit 32-12 in Yokohama, the second-heaviest defeat in World Cup final history.
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In the lead-up to the match, the side were being compared to Sir Clive Woodward's 2003 World Cup-winning side by British media, despite Jones' team having not yet lifted the Webb Ellis Cup.
Writing in his new book My Life and Rugby, Jones spoke about his squad's mindset leading into the Springboks clash, saying that he got it wrong in keeping his side's feet on the ground after their victory over the All Blacks.
"There's also a psychological challenge after the kind of big win we achieved against the All Blacks," Jones wrote, according to The Times.
"While we did play well, I thought the analysis was a bit over the top. Everyone was slapping us on the back, saying how fantastic we were, how it was the best ever performance by an England team and the best ever win at a World Cup.
"The praise was everywhere. The challenge is to bring the players back to reality. It changes the structure and narrative of the week."
Jones also revealed that he made a mistake selection-wise for the final, saying he should have picked loosehead prop Joe Marler ahead of the New Zealand-born Mako Vunipola.
"I had been right against Australia and New Zealand but, as it turned out, in the biggest game of our four-year cycle, I got it badly wrong. Hindsight is a wonderful teacher," he said.
Jones' book is released on November 21.
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Latest Comments
But he chose rightly or wrongly to play for Tonga. If he wanted to play for the ABs why didn’t he hold off?
Go to comments“A succession of recent ex-players going straight back into the game as coaches in their early 40’s would prob be enough to kill it stone-dead. Innovation would die a death.”
Would it? I do think one of the major differences between rugby and most other sports - which we’ve been overlooking - is the degree to which players are expected to lead team meetings & analysis sessions and the like. Someone like Owen Farrell has basically been an assistant coach already for ten years - and he’s been so under a variety of different head coaches with different expectations and playing styles.
“The most interesting ppl I have met in the game have all coached well into their sixties and they value the time and opportunity they have had to reflect and therefore innovate in the game. That’s based on their ability to compare and contrast between multiple eras.”
I don’t doubt that that’s true. But having interesting insights doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be the best able to inspire a team, or the best at managing the backroom staff.
“Wayne Smith winning the WWC in his mid sixties three years ago prob means nothing to you but it meant a lot to him. It took him back to the roots of is own coaching journey.”
I don’t doubt that! But I don’t think coaches should be hired on the basis that it means a lot to them.
“The likes of Carlo Ancelotti and Wayne Bennett and Andy Reid all have a tale to tell. You should open your ears and listen to it!”
I agree! Never have I ever suggested otherwise!
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