How did England make the change from being also-rans to becoming runaway rugby heroes? It wasn’t just the no-nonsense Aussie who took charge of the squad. It was the power of change itself.
In the aftermath of Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 45th President of the United States, I remember many a funny tweet. One was along the lines of imagining you were in a coma for two years prior to the event, and how dumbfounded you would have been to wake up and see the reality TV star as the ‘head of the free world’.
Similarly, if you were a rugby fan coming out of that coma, being told England had equalled the world record of 18 consecutive wins as a tier one nation, you would also be forgiven for thinking somebody was having a laugh.
On October 3, 2015, England went down 13-33 at Twickenham against Australia. It wasn’t just any loss, it was their second loss in a row in a Rugby World Cup that they were hosting, and with it came an embarrassing exit from the tournament in the pool stages.
Since that dark day it has been nothing but success, and even though they came unstuck against Ireland on St Patrick’s Day, their recent run of results is still one of the greatest turnarounds in recent sporting history.
What changed? How is it that a team who always seemed okay with second best suddenly became this ruthless vehicle for excellence, producing sustained success that made the entire rugby world take notice?
Well, the only thing that really changed to the naked eye was the head coach. Stuart Lancaster was replaced by Eddie Jones, and with that, potential finally turned into performance. Is Eddie Jones a coaching god then? His latter stages with the Wallabies and the Queensland Reds don’t suggest so. As impressive as his run has been with England, he had been on the other end of the spectrum with those teams before parting ways with them.
England were always destined for greatness, when you consider their resources on and off the field. Three of the last four IRB/World Rugby Junior World Championships have been won by England. Their club structures are strong, and administration forward-thinking. Their Sevens team is also on the rise.
It seems all they needed was a straight talking, no-nonsense Aussie to take the reins of their national team, change things, and break the shackles of their average expectations.
Being allowed to come in and do as he pleases has also allowed Jones to be the best he can be. Unobstructed by previous systems, unhindered by people looking to interfere with the running of the national team, Jones has been backed to produce the goods, and he has done so.
Courtney Lawes, not so long ago, was little more than average. A decent English player who got shown up against tougher international opposition. Now he is one of the standout players in the Eddie Jones era, one of many who have taken their games to the next level.
Under Eddie Jones the players are working harder, enjoying working harder, and believing in themselves more than ever. They are still the same players, only now thriving in an environment where they know they can reach their best.
Many have been quick to downplay England’s impressive run of victories and new-found identity as a rugby powerhouse. For one thing, they have yet to play the All Blacks. This is no flash in the pan success though. This is no taking advantage of a fortunate fixture run. This team is the real deal and will probably only get better from here when you consider the previously mentioned elements at play.
They just needed to change, and Eddie Jones was the change they needed.
Here’s a look at England’s run of results that saw them equal New Zealand’s record of 18 consecutive tier one international victories.
Beat Uruguay 60-3
Beat Scotland 15-9*
Beat Italy 40-9
Beat Ireland 21-10
Beat Wales 25-21
Beat France 31-21
Beat Wales 27-13
Beat Australia 39-28
Beat Australia 23-7
Beat Australia 44-40
Beat South Africa 37-21
Beat Fiji 58-15
Beat Argentina 27-14
Beat Australia 37-21
Beat France 19-16
Beat Wales 21-16
Beat Italy 36-15
Beat Scotland 61-21
*Eddie Jones’ first game in charge.
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