Sir Clive Woodward: Eddie Jones’ pre-match was ‘pathetic’
Once again, Sir Clive Woodward has Eddie Jones firmly in his crosshairs, this time labelling the pre-match hype before the England-Ireland match from Jones as ‘pathetic macho’ stuff.
Woodward reckoned that Jones’ repeated promises – warnings really – of physicality and force from his side contributed directly to the early red card shown to Charlie Ewels which had such a bearing on the game.
Valiant
Despite a valiant rearguard action thereafter, Ireland ultimately recorded a bonus-point win, their biggest-ever win at England’s HQ, which Woodward, writing in the Daily Mail, saw as a direct consequence of the pre-match hype.
“When you re-run the game — and the build-up — it is the mistakes that come to mind and the excellence of Ireland who, for me, would have still won with something to spare, even without Charlie Ewels’ sending off,” he opined.
“Ireland beat England by a record margin and outscored them four tries to nil. I don’t recall England creating a single clear-cut try-scoring opportunity.
“Ireland were organised, patient and relied on their class to get the job done. Man for man their backs are on a totally different level to England’s…
“They were found wanting and that is the only way to look at this match. There is no Monday morning meeting and England are on the plane home, with Jones once again blaming a referee for his own shortcomings.
“Why? Firstly we had all this pathetic macho stuff from Jones in the build-up about how England were going to play with a physicality and aggression that Ireland hadn’t seen before.
“Why even go there? Of course it’s going to be tough and torrid up front, it’s England against Ireland at Twickenham for heaven’s sake. It’s a given.
“It’s that kind of ridiculous rhetoric that probably contributed to Ewels’ dangerous challenge, which was rightly punished with a red card…
“Part of that flawed approach was also fuelled by Jones’ insistence that England be viewed as the underdogs.
“Eddie is what is often referred to in Australia as an ‘Aussie battler’ — he prides himself as that underdog figure who seems to think the world is against him…
“It can work when you are clearly the minnows but England are not little guys who constantly need winding up.”
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