Eddie Jones knows exactly what he is up to here.
The England coach has been on the block long enough to know the levers to pull and buttons to push ahead of big Test matches.
The Australian has, so far, claimed Scotland were favourites to beat his newly acquired team, said he wanted to “smash” Italy and that he considered flying in an Aussie Rules team to prep for Ireland.
Last week, we highlighted Jones’ proclamation that Ireland kick away 60% of their possession. As the game edges closer, Jones has now upped that figure. He told The Times:
“They kick 70% of their ball away. If they want to do that, good luck to them.”
This is from the same man that believes he has improved the fitness of his current England team 30% in the space of just a month.
The facts simply do not back Jones up.
Against France, Ireland kicked 25 times from 116 possessions. That works out at just over 20%. In the same game, France kicked 28 times but they did see more of the ball.
In the 16-16 draw against Wales on the opening day, Ireland kicked away even less of the ball.
They kicked 28 times from 174 possessions – a shade over 16%. Again, it was the opponents [Wales with 31] that kicked more than the men in green.
What seems likely is that Jones is setting out his stall to the media – Ireland are ultra conservative – will trying to goad Ireland and draw them into a different style of play.
Warren Gatland has tried this in the past, against Schmidt, with varying degrees of success. Anyone that recalls the 14-man line-out Ireland tried to punch home against Wales in last year’s Six Nations would recognise that.
Schmidt had his game-plan openly questioned in the press and he tried to answer Gatland with one of his own trick plays.
Expect a similar, premeditated response to Jones and England.
SIX NATIONS KICKING STATS
- Wales 81
- Scotland 78
- England 77
- Italy 65
- France 62
- Ireland 53
