Ollie Phillips: Brilliant England need to prove Ireland performance was not just a flash in the pan February 7, 2019 What a difference one match makes. England’s outstanding win over Ireland was a performance which saw them emphatically back to their best, displaying their true potential. It was the perfect way to start the Six Nations and a World Cup year, with intensity, physicality, accuracy and pace which out-did one of the best teams in [...]
Match made in Dublin: Manu Tuilagi and Henry Slade are the midfield pair England have been looking for February 7, 2019 As England pulled off a masterclass in Dublin last weekend, Eddie Jones perhaps also stumbled across the midfield match he had been searching for. The combination of George Ford, Owen Farrell and Jonathan Joseph at 10, 12 and 13, brought success during Jones’s early tenure, winning successive Six Nations. But once teams had exploited their [...]
Unpredictable France can pack a punch and test England’s resolve February 5, 2019 On the face of it, England’s biggest battle when they meet France in the Six Nations on Sunday will be not succumbing to complacency following last weekend’s contrasting results. In reality, France could still pose a significant threat to England’s Grand Slam dreams in Le Crunch, as it is known colloquially, such is the nature [...]
England’s “brutal” Six Nations victory over Ireland showed the Eddie Jones blueprint of physical dominance February 3, 2019 Eddie Jones continually promised England’s opening fixture against Ireland would be “brutal”. In the build-up to a tournament like the Six Nations such phrases can be explained as fighting talk intended to ramp up the hype, but in this case England’s head coach chose his words carefully. On Saturday he delivered on his promise as [...]
The Six Nations is becoming increasingly competitive but Ireland are still clear favourites according to a supercomputer February 1, 2019 The Six Nations has rarely been more competitive. Last year’s championship saw an average points difference of just 14 across the 15 games – the lowest since 2013 – according to Gracenote Sports. Although Ireland ran out Grand Slam winners, there were just five points separating second-placed Wales and fifth-placed England come the end of [...]
Ollie Phillips: Ireland are favourites but the opening round could shape a tight Six Nations January 31, 2019 The Six Nations finally gets under way tomorrow and the fixture list has thrown up some fascinating ties to kick off with. England travel to Dublin to face defending champions Ireland on Saturday, which I think might actually prove to be a blessing rather than a curse as there is little pressure to improve their [...]
A family affair: England captain Owen Farrell must unlock an Ireland defence organised by father Andy January 31, 2019 England kick off their Six Nations campaign with the toughest test possible when they face Ireland in Dublin on Saturday, but for the Farrell family it is a game with extra meaning. Owen Farrell, England’s captain, will not only be coming up against the world’s No2 side but also his father, Andy, Ireland’s defence coach [...]
England lock George Kruis has high hopes for cannabis oil business with Saracens team-mate Dom Day January 29, 2019 England star George Kruis and Saracens team-mate Dom Day have set out on a mission to revolutionise recovery by releasing a product aimed at enhancing rehabilitation – with a difference. The substance of their “fourfive cbd” products is cannabidiol (CBD), a derivative of hemp, which is part of the cannabis family, but without the psychoactive [...]
Ollie Phillips: Eddie Jones needs players to buy into his methods fully in defining year for England January 24, 2019 England are in Portugal on their pre-Six Nations training camp, which means the players will be being put through their paces by Eddie Jones. Jones is an interesting character – intense and hard to judge. He likes to challenge those he works with, so it’s bound to be testing time ahead of the opening match [...]
Forward thinking: Eddie Jones reveals unorthodox idea to field nine forwards ahead of England’s Six Nations campaign January 17, 2019 Eddie Jones is no stranger to causing a stir, and in his first media appearance of a World Cup year he was at it again. The England head coach said on Thursday, as he named his squad for the Six Nations opener against Ireland on 2 February, that he is considering turning conventional wisdom on [...]