England coach not ‘overly happy’ with blitz defence and isn’t ‘blind’ to flaws

Assistant coach Felix Jones has described England’s defence as a “work in progress” after two rounds of action in the Six Nations.

The Irishman has been entrusted with leading the Red Rose defensive system after a successful stint coaching with the Springboks, helping South Africa win back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles.

England’s defence is a “work in progress”

There has been some criticism of Jones’ structures due to its similarity to the Springboks, and while the English players are still adjusting to the change from Kevin Sinfield to Jones, it has delivered two wins from two matches.

In the opening two matches, both Italy and Wales scored more tries than England in defeat, but the ex-Bok assistant still identified positives.

“I wouldn’t say I’m overly happy,” Jones told BBC Sport.

“I don’t think anyone is when you’re conceding points, so it’s a work in progress. There are loads of things still to work on, but also some good bits that we want to retain.

“We are at a level where you can’t blind yourself to things that need attention, but you want to draw positives from a tournament where winning counts.”

The blitz defence

Blitz defensive structures have been around for some time now in an attempt to nullify the ever-improving attacks, and while it was effective for the Springboks, Jones explains that it does come with its own risks.

“There are number of teams that are trying to implement higher line speed. Attacks are becoming so sophisticated that if you aren’t trying to exert pressure, the best teams in the world will hurt you,” he said.

“But there is always a balance, and you can go too far sometimes. It’s never one thing or one player’s fault, and usually, it’s a chain reaction earlier down the line.

“It could be a loss of momentum or [poor] decision-making and often the guys on the outside channels are left to pick up the pieces.

“You treat each situation in itself and try and figure out the solutions, but you also have to approach it that for everyone that goes wrong, there could be one or two that go right.

“Like any defensive system, there are guidelines you want in place, but ultimately, it’s down to the individuals within that in how well they tackle and make decisions. You have to push yourself to where the margins are so small, and you’re right on the limit of execution.”

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Collaboration

The Irishman was held in high regard during his stint in South Africa’s coaching structures and has settled in quickly with England.

“The approach has been very collaborative among all the coaches. Everyone is working as hard as they can, and we’re trying to find any improvement we can from a game or in training,” Jones said.

“The players have been awesome in terms of buying in and sharing their knowledge with what works at their clubs. There is not a session that goes by where the players are not asking questions.”

England’s defence will certainly be tested in Round Three of the Six Nations when they tackle Scotland at Murrayfield.

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