Jeremy Guscott column: Straight-talking Eddie Jones has flicked the right switch

Eddie Jones has used his personality as an asset everywhere he’s gone, and it’s been the same since he took over as England head coach. He looked from a distance at what he could do with this team, and since he arrived he has assessed each player and looked at the way of getting the best out of them.
He has a deep-rooted belief in his own ability, and he’s challenged this England team to respond. Through his one-on-ones he’s been quick, sharp, to the point, and given his opinion of where they are and what they have to do to improve.
He’s garnered his approach from years of dealing with the Aussies, South Africans and Japanese, and he’s brought it over here – and with new coaching voices like Paul Gustard and Steve Borthwick he’s flicked a switch for this squad that hasn’t happened in the past.
Jones appears to be old school. He tells the players to go and have a couple of beers, but to be sensible about it – but when it comes to the playing side he’s told them that he’ll give it to them straight all the time, every time.
He’s been feeling his way with the media but he’s also given us some great lines. The only time he’s got it wrong was with the Johnny Sexton comments, by taking it into a personal space.
Regarding the Joe Marler story, he said that from a coach’s point of view the people who had to deal with it had done so. If he had taken the view that what Marler did was so far beyond acceptable then he could have dropped him for a game – but it was a disciplinary call and it was the Six Nations panel that should have taken that course of action, and closed the door on it.
He’s geed up an England team which is a wonderful blend of the old and gnarled, and the new. Jones is very clever at getting the best out of the squad, and in managing the media. He’s shifted the focus onto the opposition during this tournament, more than on his own team.
His understanding of the game is at a very high level, as is his psychological understanding of the players. He has the gift of being able to make the team adapt and become one – and when you have that you end up with success.
We were all blown away by Joe Schmidt’s attention to detail, and how he achieved a double Championship win with Ireland, and Warren Gatland had similar success with Wales before that – and now Eddie Jones has delivered what they did.
The ingredients are a new captain, and a reshuffling of players who were there already, along with a smattering of new caps. Dylan Hartley is not playing better or worse than he did when he was at his best in the past – but he has kept his discipline and has been a good captain who has said it as it is, rather than resorting to media-speak. It’s more personal, and it rubs off on the rest of the squad, so players say what they feel more.
England are currently producing some very good rugby because of a real understanding of what’s in front of them. It is a team that may not yet possess many players who would stroll into a World XV, but there are now many more who would be contenders for a Lions Test side.
They are carrying the ball better, they are more aggressive, and they have gone back to the traditional forward strengths. I asked Dan Carter where he would attack England, and he said that the All Blacks would target the set-piece, because if you attack at their point of strength and succeed then you are halfway home.
Jones wants accuracy and aggression at the set-piece, where Borthwick is detailed to a serious degree. Not only does he have a call to each man at the lineout, he even has calls for the gaps in between them.
However, if you have confidence in your systems, you then have an open canvas to paint on. That’s what has happened. Jones got the broad brush strokes down against Scotland, when they were vulnerable – but the Scots did not take advantage – and England got stronger as the tournament progressed.
England are now thinking on their feet, and coordinating together. There is a licence to play, in line with Jones’ comment to Mako Vunipola, to “go out there and play like a Tongan”.
In the Ireland game I could not believe the size of the overlaps England created, with Mike Brown jogging in. That means they knew that the Irish defence was narrow, and they exploited it. Against Wales they learned that you cannot have urgency without accuracy. However, despite the Welsh comeback I didn’t see an England side that was really panicky, and you sensed that there is more inner-belief. For instance, taking Dan Biggar’s charge down as the starting point it was not until Dan Cole‘s yellow card almost 20 minutes later that Wales got going.
There’s also been an Eddie Jones placebo effect in terms of fitness. They are not the 30 per cent fitter he says – but they are testing the opposition and challenging them, as well as themselves.
If you look at Maro Itoje he makes a tackle and is then up on his feet in seconds. The bounce from going to deck and getting back up again with a young guy like that is very impressive. Also, some of his tackles at the end of the game were made with the same speed and urgency as in the early minutes.
George Kruis has also shown a stunning consistency of performance at the lineout and in the loose, while Billy Vunipola has been inspired – as have James Haskell and Chris Robshaw. Dan Cole has been revitalised, apparently as a result of just one phone call from Jones.
Then there are the guys who could take over, with Jamie George and Jack Clifford alongside Itoje, who looks destined to be in a big second-row battle with Joe Launchbury and Kruis for years to come.
There will also be a fight at outside-centre between Elliot Daly and Jonathan Joseph, and to me the wingers have been outstanding. Anthony Watson has added more zip, and worked on his aerial game, while Jack Nowell’s stint in the centre has made him appreciate space more, and he’s become more elusive. Mike Brown has also been playing with confidence, and has had a decent Six Nations.
I went to the previous England camp, and while on the outside it appeared to be happy, you know from this team’s performances that they are a really happy camp.
These coaches have got great jobs, and they should have nothing but a good time doing it, although there may come a time when Eddie Jones is not so smiley and twinkly. However, he will make sure that they go to Australia as underdogs this summer by stressing that the Wallabies have a great coach and players.
There is plenty to work on if they are to get better. England are not as fit as New Zealand, and I doubt they are as fit as Australia – and until they are it’s Jones’ mission to get them there. Irrespective, England have made a good, long step in the right direction in this Six Nations.