“You just saw today the quality of Gibson-Park and Lowe in the second half.”
Former England head coach Eddie Jones was on punditry duty at the Aviva Stadium for ITV on Saturday, as Ireland saw off England in the opening round of the Six Nations.
The Australian helmed England from 2015 to 2022, leading them to three Six Nations titles and a World Cup final.
His outspoken nature and controversial coaching tactics have made him a villain in the eyes of many, but there is no doubting that he is one of the game’s great minds, and is still box office when in front of a camera.
After Saturday’s match he highlighted two players who ‘dominated’ proceedings, and showed that Ireland are still very much benefitting from the now defunct three-year residency rule.
New Zealand natives Jamison Gibson-Park and James Lowe qualified for Ireland just before the residency rule was changed to five years, with both men making their international debuts in 2020.
Gibson-Park was named Player of the Match on the weekend, after a superbly taken try and multiple pin-point kicks, while Lowe assisted three tries with three excellent line breaks.
Jones said: “I think they are. You just saw today the quality of Gibson-Park and Lowe in the second half. They really dominated the game and the rest of the team went with them.
“For England to go forward, they need a couple of those senior guys to really step up, show the way and bring the younger guys with them.
“The second half was almost the opposite of the first. The first ten minutes, Ireland dominated possession, they used it a lot better in the second half. They looked sharper.
“Maybe England fell off their line speed a bit in defence. There was a bit of a gap in the second half between the two teams.”
Jones added: “I’m glad I’m not [England coach]!
“You’ve got to look back and find some positives from the game. Their defence in the first half, their breakdown work was good.
“Also that ability just to stay in the game. Second half they gave away seven penalties and two free-kicks…Ireland got their rhythm. You’ve got to be able to just keep doing your job.
“That’s something you’ve just got to do through hard practice.
