O'Gara: The call Eddie Jones didn't make that may have cost England RWC
La Rochelle head coach Ronan O'Gara has suggested that Eddie Jones' refusal to bend the rules during the Rugby World Cup final may have cost England the match.
Star tighthead Kyle Sinckler was forced to leave the field with concussion after just three minutes and he was replaced by Leicester's Dan Cole. England then conceded multiple penalties as their scrum was decimated by the Springbok pack.
England went on to lose 32-12 in what was ultimately a convincing win for the South Africans, who deservedly claimed their third Rugby World Cup.
Ex-Ireland flyhalf O'Gara was speaking with Virgin Media Ireland's Nathaniel Cope and gave an insight into his own win at all costs philosophy. The former Munster playmaker said he was left scratching his head at why the England head coach didn't make the call to get Cole off the pitch - by hook or by crook.
"Eddie Jones, if you're in his head, is plotting worst-case scenario probably, Dan Cole comes in and he's in for 77 minutes. You don't have extra legs for him or expertise at tighthead.
"What are you to do?"
"The coach in me was saying, essentially, do you bend the rules and become cynical and make them uncontestable scrums. The game was decided by penalties up front.
"You have to find a way to win no matter what it takes. If you get in trouble, you've got a World Cup winners' medal."
There is certainly no doubt that England's scrum meltdown was the central hinge on which the game swung. Sir Clive Woodward said as much at full time.
Woodward, who guided England to 2003 World Cup success, told ITV: “No doubt, the better team won. At this level of rugby, if you can’t scrum properly, if you’re going to give five or six penalties at your scrum against a team like this, you’re always going to come second.
“England will be bitterly disappointed, to go down 32-12 in a World Cup final. They just couldn’t fire a shot because we couldn’t get first phase ball.”
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Look, we know contradicting opinions and wacky comments bring readers and clicks, so well done to RP for allowing always-wrong-Ben to say something here. However RP needs to put a disclaimer next to his comments for their own credibility. NZ was and is incapable of acknowledging their opp beating them. They refused so with Ire and with Arg in 2022 and also the Boks in 2023 x 2. Nothing Ben says here holds water, NZ attacked backwards, except when Kolisi and Kolbe was off And cyncialy took out Bongi, we played without lineouts for 75mins. Kolisi and Kurt-Lee almost scored twice. Thats 3 vs 2 for Boks, but the Boks opportunities was legal. Boks should have been 16-3 up by half time. Tacticaly the Boks attacked better defended better scrummed better (without a hooker) kicked better and crossed the whitewash more times. Boks beat Fr Eng Nz to win in 23, comeon give some credit at least. Even Federer Verstappen NY Mets, Mamoa, was able to see a great human sport achievement by the Boks and their DNA Boks #RWC27 !🏉
Go to commentsForget the 85kg bit, that can become something else. However I do like the one off test on ANZAC day idea. SR plays Fri/ Sat, test players travel Sunday and the squads have the full week together before playing Saturday. Rest of SR has a week off. Either involve women's teams in same location or in the other country and rotate annually. Herbert is right in that change is needed.
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