It has been a while since England fans witnessed Eddie Jones at the peak of his coaching powers. Cast your mind back to the three-Test tour to Australia in the summer of 2016. There was no talk of performance targets as he flew south for the series as a grand-slam hero; the humiliating memories of World Cup failure at home the year previously forgotten, as hopes for the next one were rekindled.
Jones made mistakes on that return home. Luther Burrell and Teimana Harrison were exposed as bad selections but the Australian had the quick wit and courage to make first-half substitutions before excessive damage was done. It was a bold, brilliant recognition of initial errors on his part. Yes, it has been a while.
Six years on and this summer’s tour down under represents both a huge opportunity and a threat to England’s heavily criticised head coach. The upward curve has been swapped for two terrible Six Nations performances. Jones and his team should not be wholly judged on the venerable old competition. World Cup development is a part of the Jones package of which we are always reminded when England lose. Yet England have too deep a pool of resources to finish with four wins from ten games across those two championships. The argument ends there — even for Jones acolytes.
Next up: Australia. A series win would be more than satisfactory. Australia will want revenge on their own turf. Jones has a happy habit of beating his countrymen, be it in the World Cup or last autumn. The result/performance argument can be put to one side. The Wallabies struggled without the likes of Quade Cooper and Samu Kerevi in November and are under some pressure to beat the Poms.
In the context of England’s confused state, a 2-1 defeat could be a series from which they would travel home having taken a positive step towards the World Cup. They do not have to win the series.
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The previous team to tour Australia was France. The future grand-slam champions lost a thrilling series 2-1 but returned home in far better shape compared with when they left. None of the European and French Top 14 finalists’ contingent from Toulouse and La Rochelle travelled. Eight of France’s elite missed the tour. Antoine Dupont, Cyril Baille, Julien Marchand, Uini Atonio and Grégory Alldritt were among the missing men.
But Fabien Galthié, the head coach, used the tour for more than simply winning matches. Cameron Woki started the first Test on the bench, the second in the back row and was the best player on the pitch by full-time in the third Test. His evolution alone made the trip one worth making, no matter what the result.
Behind the scrum, France found their metier. Melvyn Jaminet was a new face on the French scene. He performed like a veteran in the grand slam-clinching win against England. Damian Penaud settled on the right wing while the bustling figure of Gabin Villière emerged as a first-choice left wing, with Jonathan Danty finding his feet as an international centre.
There were mistakes along the way. This is not a miracle story of how French genius discovered their team at the other end of the world. A lot of the names listed in the respective squads of 23 for those Tests have disappeared, probably never to re-emerge as French internationals. Just as Jones realised his errors in 2016, so too did Galthié in 2021.
Winning would be a bonus for Jones. Making real progress is the one essential leading to the World Cup in France next year. The England coach needs to discover a way to punch his team over the gainline. Alex Dombrandt should be given the keys to the No 8 position and told to prove he can do for his country what he does for Harlequins.
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Alfie Barbeary is also due a shot, probably from the bench. He has an ability to carry and clatter his way through defenders around the fringe like few others. He may be behind a few in the pecking order but Jones has to show some foresight on the chance that he can do for England’s ball-carrying game what Woki has done as a lineout jumper and more for France.
Ben Youngs may remain Jones’s favourite scrum half but three Tests present an opportunity to find out whether the younger set of No 9s are capable of injecting the balance of pace and control. Alex Mitchell of Northampton Saints is worth a look as a starter in one of these Tests, with Raffi Quirke and Harry Randall there to take their chances. Youngs, the Leicester Tigers veteran, would only be on the tour in case he is needed to close down a game. That is not progress.
Progress requires a degree of experimentation. Owen Farrell is almost certain to tour, but that should not stop Jones thinking laterally about a direct approach to the gainline. Injury has delayed the development of Joe Cokanasiga. He’s back scoring tries for Bath but his form doesn’t merit selection for Australia. His potential, however, does.
He has strength and subtlety, capable of doing for Marcus Smith what Nemani Nadolo does at Leicester for George Ford. Another Leicester man in need of further examination is Dan Kelly. Capped by Jones in the summer, he is the best inside centre in the Gallagher Premiership, outside South Africa’s André Esterhuizen.
Is he good enough against the likes of Kerevi? Let’s see. If not, we’ll at least know. If he is, then England have themselves a fine centre. Such selections as the ones mentioned are only gambles if the fear of defeat overcomes the possibility of progress.
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France were fearless in Australia. They lost the series but those three games played their part in the grand-slam success. Superstars rose while others fell away. Galthié got it right; it was the making of France. Jones has wasted too much time. He cannot afford to get it wrong. Not if England are to have even the vaguest chance of winning the next World Cup.
