RUGBY TOUR REPORT
No.8 Billy Vunipola was one of the key England players during the Test series.
Glory Down Under England completed an historic 3-0 series whitewash over Australia during the summer but Head Coach Eddie Jones believes the best is yet to come for a talented squad which has effected a remarkable turnaround since they crashed out of the 2015 Rugby World Cup at the group stages. t’s the mark of the ambition of this current England side that even after securing their historic 3-0 series win against Australia with that epic 44-40 victory in Sydney, the immediate talk from the players and management was about the need for all-round improvement in several areas. During their tour Down Under England moved up to second in the World Rugby Rankings but under coach Eddie Jones the shared objective for the men in white is clear: to become the best team in the world and knock No.1-ranked New Zealand off their throne. Under Jones, England have certainly effected a major turnaround in fortunes given that eight months previously the team was in disarray having just been eliminated from a home World Cup before the knockout stages after a disastrous performance in their group.
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28 SPORTS CLUB MANAGEMENT
Scroll forward a few months and England – with largely the same squad which took part in the World Cup – are now reigning Six Nations Champions and the first side to inflict a 3-0 home series defeat on the Wallabies since 1971. In terms of fitness, skills and confidence, the current squad is on a steep upward curve and Jones’ approach has transformed the fortunes of individuals as well as the overall team. For an example of a player who has been given a new lease of life under Jones, look no further than James Haskell. Despite being one of the most experienced players in Stuart Lancaster’s World Cup squad, the Wasps captain was barely afforded any game time during that tournament. Following storming performances in both the 2016 Six Nations and the series against the Wallabies, he is now one of England’s key men and tackled himself to a stand-
still in the first two tests before injury intervened and reduced him to the role of spectator in the 3rd Test. Haskell’s style of play seems tailor-made for the game plan that Jones is trying to effect, particularly as part of the rush defence that England have adopted under defence coach Paul Gustard, who first developed the system during his time with Saracens. Haskell is just one of a whole group of players who are taking their lead from the management to become more effective on the pitch, a culture that is reaping dividends already but could take the team even further. And there is plenty more to come according to the man in charge. “You can never take your foot off the pedal,” said Jones after the 3rd Test. “As soon as you take it off you get weak. And we can’t afford to get
