Eddie Jones calls on the 82,000-pack
England coach Eddie Jones believes that the home crowd will count for more than South Africa might think at scrum-time on Saturday, as a relatively green England front-row faces up to the world champions’ infamous scrum.
The last time the two teams met there was the small matter of the World Cup riding on the outcome, but England, weakened by an early injury to Kyle Sinckler, were comprehensively out-scrummed that day.
Ironically, Sinckler is the only member of that starting front-row in the England team for Saturday, with Mako Vunipola seemingly shovelled into retirement by Jones and Jamie George ruled out with injury. Joe Marler benches as he did in Yokohama, but only emerges from Covid isolation on Thursday night.
Stung
Instead, Sinckler packs down in the front-row with rookies Jamie Blamire and Bevan Rodd, which has had South African fans licking their lips all week, but as Jones reminded, this is an England scrum which will have 82,000 voices roaring them on.
Jones was stung by perceived slights emerging from the South African camp in the wake of their conclusive 32-12 victory in the 2019 World Cup final and views Saturday’s climax to the autumn at Twickenham as the right stage to respond.
“They said after the World Cup final, where they beat us fair and square, that they knew how to play to us, they knew where our weaknesses were and they were implying that our forward pack was weak,” Jones said.
“Siya Kolisi after the World Cup final said he knew how to beat us. Obviously their game is based on physicality so the implication is that they can go over our forward pack.
“But our English forward pack won’t be weak on Saturday. We’ll have 82,000 people supporting that forward pack and we’re looking forward to that contest up front.
“We don’t have a ‘Bomb Squad’ like South Africa are so proud about, but we have Joe Marler and Will Stuart.
“And with the young guy Nic Dolly from Leicester, we’re looking forward to taking them on in the last 20-30 minutes of the game.
“We looking forward to taking them on in that physicality and we’re also looking forward to try to expose the weaknesses in their game that they do have.
“There’s no team that’s unbeatable, there’s no team that doesn’t have a flaw in whatever they do and sometimes your strength becomes your weakness.”
South Africa enter the final Autumn Nations Series match without boss Rassie Erasmus, who has been banned from all rugby activity for two months because of his verbal attacks on match officials during the summer’s Lions series.
Jones, however, declined to comment on the verdict of the independent disciplinary hearing on the grounds that Erasmus has appealed.
England pick Joe Marchant on wing to face Springboks
England head coach Eddie Jones has named Joe Marchant on the wing for Saturday’s Autumn Nations Series clash with South Africa at Twickenham.
Marchant comes into the side in the 14 jersey, Jonny May is on the left wing and Freddie Steward, who scored in the win over Australia last week, is at full-back.
Manu Tuilagi is named at inside centre while at fly-half it is once again Marcus Smith and the side’s most capped-player, Ben Youngs, (111) starts at scrum-half.
