2016/17 Anglo-Welsh Cup

After its one year hiatus the Anglo-Welsh Cup is back for the 2016/17 season and will regain it’s place in the domestic season.  

Although some people aren’t great fans of the competition in my opinion it has an important place in the domestic ladder and is making a welcome return. The Anglo-Welsh Cup allows the younger members of Premiership clubs and those of the peripheries of their squads to gain valuable game time and exposure. 

The competition format remains the same as it previously was with the 12 Premiership clubs taking part alongside the four Welsh regions and all have been split into four Pools. 

Teams in Pool 1 will play against the teams in Pool 4 and those placed in Pool 2 will duel with those in Pool 3. The four group rounds are split across the season with two occurring in November, one at the end of January and the second at the beginning of February. 

The club that tops each Pool will progress into the Semi-Finals that will take place on the 11th March before the final is held seven days later on the 18th March.

BT Sport will have the television rights for the first time and we will start the new competition, and their exclusive coverage, with a trip to The Recreation Ground on 4th November where Bath Rugby will host Leicester Tigers. Below is a summary of the Pools and fixture dates which you can also download onto your smart phone or place in your computer's calendar from PremiershipRugby.com.

Anglo-Welsh Cup Pools

Pool 1

Bath Rugby

Saracens

Northampton Saints 

Newport Gwent Dragons.  

Pool 2

Exeter Chiefs

Sale Sharks

Worcester Warriors 

Ospreys

Pool 3 

Harlequins

Wasps

Bristol Rugby 

Cardiff Blues

Pool 4

Newcastle Falcons

Leicester Tigers 

Gloucester Rugby 

Scarlets

Anglo-Welsh Fixtures

Round One

4th November - Bath Rugby v Leicester Tigers. KO 7.45pm (BT Sport)

4th November - Worcester Warriors v Bristol Rugby. KO 7.45pm

4th November - Sale Sharks v Wasps. KO 8.15pm

5th November - Gloucester Rugby v Saracens. KO 3pm

5th November - Harlequins v Exeter Chiefs. KO 5.30pm (BT Sport)

6th November - Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints. KO 3pm

Round Two

11th November - Bristol Rugby v Sale Sharks. KO 7.45pm (BT Sport)

12th November - Leicester Tigers v Newport Gwent Dragons. KO 3pm

12th November - Saracens v Newcastle Falcons. KO 3pm

13th November - Wasps v Worcester Warriors. KO 3pm

13th November - Exeter Chiefs v Cardiff Blues. KO 3pm (BT Sport)

11th-13th November - Ospreys v Harlequins

11th-13th November - Scarlets v Bath Rugby

18th November - Cardiff Blues v Ospreys. KO 7.15pm

18th November - Newport Gwent Dragons v Scarlets. KO 7.30pm

Round 3 (TV selections TBC)

26/27/28 January - Scarlets v Saracens 

26/27/28 January - Ospreys v Bristol Rugby 

27th January - Sale Sharks v Cardiff Blues. KO 8.15pm

28th January - Bath Rugby v Gloucester Rugby. KO 3pm

28th January - Leicester Tigers v Northampton Saints. KO 3pm

28th January -  Exeter Chiefs v Wasps. KO 3pm

28th January - Worcester Warriors v Harlequins. KO 3pm

29th January - Newport Gwent Dragons v Newcastle Falcons. KO 3pm

Round 4 (TV selections TBC)

4th February - Gloucester Rugby v Newport Gwent Dragons. KO 3pm 

4th February - Northampton Saints v Scarlets. KO 3pm

4th February - Saracens v Leicester Tigers. KO 3pm

4th February - Cardiff Blues v Worcester Warriors. KO 3pm

4th February -  Harlequins v Sale Sharks. KO 3pm

5th February - Bristol Rugby v Exeter Chiefs. KO 3pm
5th February - Wasps v Ospreys. KO 3pm

Shifting Mindsets - England Rugby

Back in January Eddie Jones made his opening press conference ahead of the RBS 6 Nations, he was clear about his ambitions and aims for his England side. On the pitch he wanted to bring back the fundamentals of the English game starting with a dominant set piece and layering on top of that the ability to move the ball. Alongside these developments he spoke about driving a ‘change of mindset’ in players and his words at the time were;

“I have no doubt that in this current squad of 33 there are four or five players who, if they change their mindset and they change their attitude, can become world class players. If we get four or five world class players - and I'm not going to name them - then we can be the dominant team in the world.”  

"That's what it takes. Why haven't England been dominant since 2003? Because, they haven't had those players. If you go back to 2003 when I was coaching against Clive, you had Greenwood at centre, Wilkinson at 10, Dallaglio at eight, Hill at six, Johnson at five. They were guys who have changed games of rugby and England haven't had those players.”

"Our job is to develop those players and if we do that the side will come through. There are enough good, hardworking players here, but to be a dominant team in the world you've got to be better than good and hard working. You have to want to do that bit extra, seek that extra bit of advice, you have to look at doing things differently. You've got to be desperate and hungry for success.”

Since that point we’ve seen England win 9 from 9 taking a Grand Slam title and a series whitewash in Australia. Individuals have found the form of their careers and it seems that under the tutelage of Eddie Jones shifts in performance and mindset are occurring. 

Jeremy Snape, former England cricketer and leading sports psychologist, is part of the England set up and I’m sure those that needed to have tapped into his considerable knowledge. Alongside this Eddie Jones himself has done plenty to ignite the development of his side's mentality. He’s put an arm around players that needed it, made others feel valued and progressed individuals into the squad and starting XV at his pace, and nobody’s else’s. From the outside it looks like his England team are starting to believe how good they can be and the Australian is content with their shift in mindset;

“It’s definitely evolving. To me the hardest game that we had on tour was the last test. It was a difficult test for us, as we’d won 2-0 and Australia had nothing to lose and were going to give it everything. Our guys had been up since June [pre-RWC 2015 training camp] and I could see physically during the week that there were signs of wear and tear in the players. So, to put in that effort mentally, more than physically, is what we needed.” 

“It’s what we were talking about with the Tour de France [Eddie spent time with one of the teams this week], those guys go up that first slope for 45-minutes, it was tiring enough driving up there, and then they’ve got to keep going for another 4 and a half hours. That’s not physical toughness that’s mental toughness and our guys exhibited that in that third Test which was really pleasing. 

“But, you’re never there. It only takes one thing to change, one person to come into the squad and change the dynamics so it is something that we’ve always got to be aware of as complacency is always around the corner.”

The head coach warns about complacency and rightly so, however it’s hard to see that arriving at any point during his tenure. Every player that has been coached by Eddie Jones, or coach that has worked with him, has spoken about his unrelenting pursuit of excellence and interestingly following his visit to the Tour de France he believes England’s preparation can improve again. The Australian was impressed by the professionalism he witnessed at the Tour de France in terms of the team's preparation, messaging and briefing and said that it 'shows that we've done some good things in rugby but there's still a long way to go'. 

For now Eddie Jones’ squad are enjoying well earned breaks however their head coach, and his assistant coaches, are still in work mode and the Australian has in mind a new 45-man EPS squad. There will be a 3-day England training camp in August which a provisional squad will attend followed by another camp in September. The EPS squad announcement will be made in early October and then they'll have a week training together prior to the opening-Test against South Africa. 

At the heart of this EPS squad should be his Australian touring party and then the interesting part will be the players that are brought in alongside them. Nathan Hughes is now available for selection and Eddie Jones also said that a few of the U20s World Championship winning players have 'promoted themselves' into his thinking. 

With the loss of James Haskell to injury the spotlight will be firmly placed (again) on England's 7 jersey. Chris Robshaw could shift back to 7 with the aforementioned Nathan Hughes coming straight into the 6 jersey. Matt Kvesic, Luke Wallace or Jack Clifford may be considered and the eligibility of Sam Underhill is something that Eddie Jones is continuing to clarify and work on.  

For now England's international players are enjoying well-earned breaks before throwing themselves into pre-season with the enticement of donning their England jerseys again in November and December and potentially finishing the calendar year unbeaten. 

England v Australia - The Third Test Review

After everything that England have been through over the last twelve months you could have forgiven Saturday's match day 23 if they’d ran out of steam in this final Test. The opening two Tests, and in particular the rope-a-dope style that they played in Melbourne, were incredibly intense and could have drained them of their last iotas of strength. Yet Dylan Hartley and his players rose again, they found more and emptied their reserves for one final time to repel the most dynamic and complete Australian performance yet. 

Everything that we thought would be possible with the new personnel that Michael Cheka had put in place arrived in Sydney. Matt Toomua added the creativity that they were  searching for, Michael Hooper was outstanding and didn’t deserve to be on the losing side and Will Skelton certainly put himself about. However England found the answers, although it did require another early change from Eddie Jones to put them on the right path. Courtney Lawes’ impact on the match was immense, he was the man that upped their physicality and pushed them into winning the gain line battle again and Maro Itoje proved his Test credentials in the back row. The latter can do no wrong and finishes the year having won all 26 of the matches that he’s started.

Once again I want to shine the spotlight on England’s 10 and 12 partnership as I believe that the development of George Ford and Owen Farrell together has been vital to the touring party's success and again shone brightly in this final Test. We all know that the plan was for Manu Tuilagi to arrive back into the mix and provide that gain line busting, ball carrying threat at 12 yet England haven’t needed him nor any other man that fits in that  mould. Instead the dynamism and creativity provided by Ford and Farrell has out smarted Australia and the instinctive partnership that they had at age grade level is back and flourishing. 

Farrell’s goal kicking is exceptional, he’s delivered 66-points this tour and in Sydney kicked 9 out of 10 shots at goal from all over the park. Almost every time that England have gained a penalty he’s converted it into points on the scoreboard and that unwavering accuracy punishes opponents and helps to wear them down. In defence the Saracen is vocal and combative and takes charge of those around them keeps  them on the right path. Then, going forwards he is a source of attack and creativity having considerably expanded his own game over the last twelve months. Farrell has nerves of steel, he's shown time and time and such unfaltering character in sensational. 

In Australia George Ford has shown all of those that were sceptical about him the full extent of his class this series. The fly-half’s exceptional rugby brain has come to the fore alongside his game management and ability to make the right decision as flat to the line as you can possibly get. Ford has constantly pushed England into the right areas of the field, provided contestable kicks that put Australia under pressure and his sublime handling has created tries and opportunities left, right and centre. England are exceptionally lucky to have two such gifted players in their ranks and their first-class partnership is making this national side tick.

This series England’s pack have taken Australia to the cleaners, their scrum has been a rock solid platform to work off and a source of numerous penalties and points as well as providing a destructive driving maul. While at times the lineout hasn't been perfect, as Steve Borthwick demands, it has still operated at a high level and provided the quick ball needed to work off. During all three tests England's forwards have worked themselves into the ground and haven't ever taken a backwards step. No longer are England able to be pushed around and no longer are they able to be put into reverse at scrum time. Instead they have a gnarly pack and England re the ones making their opponents cower. 

(C) England Rugby

With a 3-0 series whitewash in the bag and the Cook Cup coming back to England head coach Eddie Jones has hailed the ‘fantastic effort’ from his squad but still demands more. He wants consistency and believes that we still haven’t seen what we need to from his squad. As I’ve said numerous times over the past few weeks this singleminded pursuit of perfection is one of the reasons why England are making such great, and quick, strides under his leadership. When he took the job he realised the talent that he would have at his disposal and the response that we've seen to Eddie Jones' coaching methods and man management has been exceptional. 

For now England’s players will not talk or think about Autumn Tests, instead they will return home to their families and let their bodies, and minds, recover. For most it has been the longest and most emotionally and physically draining season of their lives. Following the great lows in 2015 we are seeing the first pages of a new chapter of English rugby being written and the most exciting thing is that this 3-0 series whitewash in Australia is just the beginning. 

England v Australia - The Third Test

So, here we are on the day of the final Test in Australia and England are in a position to deliver a series whitewash over Australia. 

Of course it won’t be straightforward to do so, matches against Australia never are, however given their current confidence levels and the expectations that Eddie Jones is pressing upon them I cannot see England letting this match, and a seriies whitewash, slip out of their hands. 

In the build up to the final 80-minutes of their season and the finale to this Test series Eddie Jones has again shown astute management. Instead of pandering to England and telling them how brilliant they are doing he’s demanded that they focus on this match as if it was a World Cup Final and highlighted the dangers of believing the praise and hype that’s being  laid at their doorstep. 

The Australian’s logic is simple, a World Cup requires you to win three huge knockout matches back-to-back after the group stages and right now England have only delivered two. Setting out this scenario to the media, and to his players, allows England’s head coach to test his squad and see if they all respond in the adequate fashion. By pressuring the side and demanding that they ruthlessly finish the task at hand he’s making further steps towards developing England’s cut-throat winning mentality. It's brilliant psychology and another indication of the experience that Eddie Jones is bringing to the role. 

Together both Eddie Jones and Dylan Hartley have implored their side to forget about the hype and all of the praise that’s being sent their way. Both mens’ messages are clear; this side, and every individual in it, is only as good as their next game and no-one will be allowed to rest on the laurels of the recent successes. With every moment spent under the tutelage of Eddie Jones England’s mentality is hardening and he is driving relentlessly high standards that must be met, or else. 

On the field England’s squad remains the same, something that I believe is the right move and the correct decision. I firmly sit in the camp of 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' and bar James Haskell's injury and I expect a few bumps and bruises there wasn't any need to change personnel. Since the RBS 6 Nations the Ford and Farrell partnership has grown from strength to strength and is now the heartbeat of the side, England's pack have dominated Australia at the set piece and won the gainline and the back three have worked well together. There have been calls for changes and Alex Goode’s name is one that comes up a lot. But, in my mind Mike Brown hasn’t done anything on this tour to warrant being dropped  and why would you rock the boat when England have successfully unlocked Australia twice in the same number of weeks? So what about a bench place you say? Well, Elliot Daly provides the flexibility to cover 12, 13, 15 and even at a push the wings and the intensity of the game is likely to be akin to Melbourne therefore a 6-2 split is imperative. 

The loss of James Haskell for this final Test is a blow, he’s been sensational this series and has delivered so many momentum shifting moments over the opening two matches. The openside has worked fantastically well with his two back row colleagues and without question this is a huge stage for Teimana Harrison to step onto. However Harrison has all of the right ingredients to take his opportunity and run with it. The Northampton Saint is gutsy, he is a physical operator and can deliver plenty around the park. Eddie Jones has said that England’s pack will collectively need to raise their physicality to try to counter the loss of the 31-year-old. If they do that then we should see England keep a hold on Australia’s back-row trio and also deliver the work rate required to repel what will be a more creative Wallaby outfit. 

There’s no doubt that Australia will throw the kitchen sink and more at England. Gut instinct says that they’ll have shored up their discipline and with Michael Cheika finally choosing to field two play makers they should provide more creativity in attack. Personally I’m expecting this to be Australia’s best outing of the series however I cannot see England backing down. 

This England side has a steely edge to it, they have pushed themselves from 8th to 2nd in the world in a short space of time and would see anything other than a series whitewash over Australia as a disappointment. Psychologically stepping back onto the plane home unbeaten would be a big boost and would also send a message to the rest of the world that under Eddie Jones they mean business. 

If you'd like a few more words about this final Test then take a look at my thoughts for Sky Sports -  Australia v England: Five talking points ahead of Sydney Test

Australia: 15 Israel Folau, 14 Dane Haylett-Petty, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Matt Toomua, 11 Rob Horne, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Nick Phipps; 1 James Slipper, 2 Stephen Moore (c), 3 Sekope Kepu, 4 Will Skelton, 5 Rob Simmons, 6 Scott Fardy, 7 Michael Hooper, 8 Sean McMahon Replacements: 16 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 17 Scott Sio, 18 Greg Holmes, 19 Adam Coleman, 20 Wycliff Palu, 21 Nick Frisby, 22 Christian Lealiifano, 23 Taqele Naiyaravoro

England: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Jack Nowell, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs; 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Dylan Hartley (c), 3 Dan Cole, 4 Maro Itoje, 5 George Kruis, 6 Chris Robshaw, 7 Teimana Harrison, 8 Billy Vunipola Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Matt Mullan, 18 Paul Hill, 19 Joe Launchbury, 20 Courtney Lawes, 21 Jack Clifford, 22 Danny Care, 23 Elliot Daly.

England v Australia - The Second Test Review

At the AAMI Park in Melbourne England Rugby made history and secured a Test series victory over Australia in the most remarkable fashion. It was the type of Test match that will be replayed for years to come and will go down in history as one of the best defensive efforts that we have ever seen from an International side.

The Class of 2003 used to use the call ‘hit the beaches’ when the going got tough. If Martin Johnson's voice boomed out those words it was the signal to up the intensity, put their bodies on the line and batten down the hatches. In Melbourne, this England side hit the beaches just before half-time and never really left them until Owen Farrell and Maro Itoje dislodged the ball out of Scott Fardy’s hands in the tackle which provided the turnover for Jamie George to work his magic from. 

Paul Gustard said after the game that he’d shared a poem with the side to focus their efforts ahead of the second-Test. The poem was by Dale Wimbrow called The Guy in the Glass. The words focus on seizing opportunity and answering to yourself in order to be satisfied that you’ve given everything possible for your cause and not wasted your opportunity. When you read the verse and reflect back on England’s heroics in Melbourne there’s a unity between his words of inspiration and England’s efforts. Of course such a verse was only one part of the preparation and after defensive shakes in Brisbane Paul Gustard's work on the training park during the week was vital to ensure that their structures were much stronger and that their spacing was more organised. 

From one to 15 England’s players worked themselves into the ground and found new depths to their fitness reserves. These depths were showcased by the fact that James Haskell and Chris Robshaw left the field with nothing left to give and both are players that have engines the size of HGVs. James Haskell looked as if he could barely run off the field such was his fatigue and his fellow back row partner Chris Robshaw was much the same. The latter marked his 50th cap in a fitting fashion, after what he's been through and the criticism thrown at him he deserves everything single moment of positive history, and joy created in the jersey. Chris Robshaw is at the heart of England's squad and if you take a moment to watch the video on of him receiving his cap online you'll see how much he, as an individual, means to his team mates. 

England's final tackle count recorded by Opta was 213 to Australia's 62; James Haskell made 21, Maro Itoje 20 and Billy Vunipola 21. Australia ran as much as they could down the fly-half channel in order to target the ‘little guy at 10’ but it didn’t work as George Ford repelled everything thrown at him manfully. Phase after phase, minute after minute England held firm and never once believed that they would be broken. On the other hand Australia clearly thought that their opponents would tire and that they would break because the home side turned down three second-half shots at goal in favour of more. They were wrong, England didn’t falter and instead with every opportunity the Wallabies missed Dylan Hartley’s men grew stronger and took a step closer to victory. 

(C) England Rugby

With England’s poor record in Australia, just three matches won there prior to this summer, many thought that this tour would derail their upwards trajectory. Instead the opening two Tests have cemented England’s belief and should help to accelerate their progress. From early on Eddie Jones said that his players didn’t realise how good they could be, but with back-to-back Test victories Down Under they will be starting to. Confidence in sport is a precious commodity and one that is often difficult to find and under the leadership of the Australian they should harness it in the right way. With the ceaselessly high standards that Eddie Jones is setting England won't be allowed to think that their current achievements are good enough and won't be allowed to rest until they are ranked No1 in the world and have won the Rugby World Cup in 2019. 

So what comes next? What happens after you secure a Test series and make history? Well, in Dylan Hartley's words England 'go again'. This was the message that he delivered on the field in Melbourne while still standing in his playing kit. England's captain knows that they are capable of a 3-0 series whitewash and their head coach expects nothing less. Both men aren’t taking anything away from the history that the side just created instead they are showing exactly the type of relentless pursuit for excellence that’s required to be the best in the world. From an English point of view the 80-minutes in Melbourne was a phenomenal Test match. England gave the ultimate display of physicality, unity and determination and duly achieved the result, and history, that they deserved. 

England v Australia - The Second Test

At the AAMI Park in Melbourne England have the opportunity to take the test series. If you’d have dared to have predicted that six months ago then people might have politely questioned your sanity. However, the fact of the matter is that Eddie Jones’ England have all of the ingredients required to win this test match and in doing so would rub salt into an open Australian wound and make history.  

Without question we'll see a more cohesive Australian side and one that’s fired up to right the wrongs of Brisbane. In the opening-test Michael Cheika’s men were always going to be a little rusty but now they have got 80-minutes of test rugby and an extra week of training under their belts. The head coach hasn't given his props any opportunity to redeem themselves instead they've been immediately replaced and Stephen Moore will be throwing into his familiar Brumbies second row partnership which should shore up their lineout. Needless to say with a test series on the line I expect to see Australia to play a full 80-minutes akin to the opening 15 in which they were so impressive in Brisbane but it will be up to England to see if they can gain improvement up front. 

England’s 39-28 victory was the perfect result to start the series but in terms of a performance it was one that Eddie Jones wasn't happy with. Instead of telling his team how brilliant they were he calmly acknowledged the result and then reminded them that there were a number of areas that weren't up to scratch. First and foremost England needed to ensure that from minute one they know exactly where they need to be defensively and don't give Australia room to move. Although Michael Cheika hasn't added another playmaker into his back line from the start, he’s got the option on the bench and Israel Folau is lethal. England have to be switched on from the off because with a test series on the line giving Australia a two-try head start would be almost suicidal. 

Alongside rock solid defence England need to replicate the physical intensity that they showed in Brisbane because that set the platform for everything positive that we saw. James Haskell needs to repeat his super-human efforts, there’s no doubt that Chris Robshaw will work himself into the ground and Billy Vunipola needs to bring his game up to the level of his back row colleagues. If he does that then this will provide England with more opportunities going forwards for the back line to exploit. Finally without David Pocock on the field the trio should have a slightly easier time at the breakdown, for no-one can fill Pocock's shoes completely, but they can’t afford to take their eye off the ball in that area. 

Earlier this week when Eddie Jones was asked if his young players will step up and deliver in Melbourne he was honest in his assessment of what he thinks will happen;

‘We’ll find out… I wouldn’t have picked them if I didn’t think they were ready for it. By picking them I’m showing absolute faith in them to do a job for England.’

(C) Jonny Fordham - Rugby Reporter
The Sun

Clearly England’s head coach cannot be 100% certain that every man will embrace the pressure that this second-Test puts on them however he’s showing full confidence in his charges. Eddie Jones is a master of man management and his knowledge of how to handle the Australian media as well is coming to the fore. Externally, and I suspect internally, he is giving all of the right messages and pushing all of the right buttons. The Australian’s confidence in his side will fuel their own self-belief and the manner in which he’s handling everything that’s being thrown at him by the Australia media is leading the way for his charges. 

The final point I want to raise is the impact that England’s bench could have on this fixture. We all know that the starting XV will play at the required tempo and intensity and then with the likes of Danny Care, Jack Clifford and Elliot Daly there are players to raise the tempo again. Although many are saying that Alex Goode should be on the bench I believe Elliot Daly is right for this test match. The 23-year-old provides the flexibility to play almost anywhere across the backline and his 50m boot be could be vital in the latter stages of what is likely to be a close and tense test match. 

Down Under it's been an intense week of build up, Australia have upped their game off he field and England will be ready for them to do so on it. England’s scrummaging, the respective sides’ levels of ‘desperation’ to win, the state of the pitch and referee Craig Joubert are just a few areas that have been dissected and discussed until the cows come home. However we’re at the point now where the talking stops and the rugby starts. England have everything that they need to take the test series today however this is sport and as we all know anything can, and probably will, happen. 

Australia: 15 Israel Folau, 14 Dane Haylett-Petty, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Samu Kerevi, 11 Rob Horne, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Nick Phipps, 1 James Slipper, 2 Stephen Moore (c), 3 Sekope Kepu, 4 Rory Arnold, 5 Sam Carter, 6 Scott Fardy, 7 Michael Hooper, 8 Sean McMahon Replacements: 16. Tatafu Polota-Nau 17. Toby Smith18. Greg Holmes 19. Dean Mumm 20. Ben McCalman 21. Nick Frisby 22. Christian Leali'ifano 23. Luke Morahan

England: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Jack Nowell, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs; 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Dylan Hartley (c), 3 Dan Cole, 4 Maro Itoje, 5 George Kruis, 6 Chris Robshaw, 7 James Haskell, 8 Billy Vunipola Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Matt Mullan, 18 Paul Hill, 19 Joe Launchbury, 20 Courtney Lawes, 21 Jack Clifford, 22 Danny Care, 23 Elliot Daly.

England v Australia - The First Test Review

Yesterday as Romain Poite blew the final whistle in Brisbane Saturday 3rd October 2015 seemed like a lifetime ago. On that day England were unceremoniously dumped out of their home World Cup by Michael Cheika’s Australia and a little over 8 months later the home nation amassed England’s greatest number of points on Australian soil and won in Brisbane for the first time in their history. 

In the opening-test Dylan Hartley and his side didn’t decide to do things the easy way, instead they gave Australia a two-try head start and found themselves defensively at sea in the first 15-minutes. Ominous dread was looming and yet once Owen Farrell’s boot started England’s account and Eddie Jones made a tactical substitution England found the right path. 

(C) Rugby World

The switch, bringing George Ford on after just 29-minutes and moving Farrell to 12, was a bold decision and a ‘gut feeling’ from Eddie Jones. His thought process was that  that they needed to change the game and gain some control back and the move paid  dividends. Naturally Luther Burrell will have been unsettled by receiving the shepherds crook and hopefully it doesn’t rock his confidence too much. But, the tried and tested combination of Ford and Farrell worked much better defensively and provided the creativity that Jones was looking for. It was Ford’s sumptuous pass out wide that put Marland Yarde in for a vital try and later it was his beautifully weighted chip that set up Jack Nowell for the final try of the night. The 23-year-old's bounce back from his last test against Wales showed his class and should have silenced those that disgraced themselves by booing him at Twickenham. 

As the pack gained the ascendency Owen Farrell's impenetrable composure and sweet striking of the ball made Australia pay. The Saracen is excelling every moment that he's on the field and is simply superb to watch. It's his ability to keep the scoreboard moving, his defensive solidity and ability to combine and manage the game alongside George Ford that is making England tick. Bernard Foley highlighted the flip side when you don't have such an assured goal kicker in your ranks and that will concern Michael Cheika heading into the final two tests. 

Bodyline was the buzzword leading into the test, with that representing the abrasive and confrontational style that Eddie Jones' England were going to approach the match with. One man showed exactly what Bodyline meant and did so in style and that was James Haskell. From his opening bruising hit on David Pocock to his 18th and final tackle of the night he was everywhere. He showed us his step and his pace and at times you thought that there were two James Haskells on the pitch such was his work rate. The Wasps captain made double the number of tackles of England’s next best defensive charge, George Ford [9], and played with a fervent desire that inspired those around him. It was his breakdown work, alongside that of Chris Robshaw and Maro Itoje, that contained the trio that destroyed England in the Rugby World Cup. Scott Fardy, Michael Hooper and David Pocock were less than half the unit that they were on that October night and it was down to Haskell and co’s endless work rate. 

'We didn’t play well today. We gave the Wallabies some easy tries and we need to work on our defence. Australia put a lot of pace on the ball which we don’t encounter in games in England. We’re obviously happy with the result – since Captain Cook England have only won three Tests here – but we can improve significantly in terms of our ball-carrying, second-man work and defence spacing. We can also still put more set-piece pressure on Australia.’

(C) BBC Rugby Union

By now we all know that Eddie Jones does not say things for dramatic effect instead he believes that his side didn’t play to their full potential in Brisbane. Of course tidying up their defensive shape is an obvious area of improvement, particularly when you look at how easily Australia raced to that 10-0 lead using the full width of the pitch. Australia must be contained better from the outset because they’ll pull more tricks out of the bag now that they’ve dusted off their International cobwebs. Also from a ball carrying point of view there’s plenty more to come. We’re used to seeing Billy Vunipola busting through the line and making clean breaks left, right and centre. We didn’t on Saturday and while credit can go to Australia for containing him Eddie will expect his number eight to create a few more holes in Melbourne as well as others like George Kruis and Dan Cole doing the same. 

Of course Eddie Jones wants more from England, he wouldn’t be driving them forwards and getting the most out of an extremely talented group of individuals if he didn’t. But, for a moment let’s just stop and recognise their achievement in Brisbane. England had never won there, England had won only three tests ever in Australia and yet they came from behind and put their hosts to the sword. The touring party will now head to Melbourne with the confidence that comes from an opening-test victory and the burning desire to put the series to bed before they reach Sydney. What an opportunity that is and what an test match it will be in just six days time. 

England v Australia - The First Test

Since Eddie Jones has been in charge England are unbeaten and importantly have started to look like a side that are going places. However, the harsh reality is that during his opening six matches in charge England haven’t been truly tested against the sides that set the standard in world rugby.

Perhaps that statement will niggle at the fans of the other Six Nations’ participants, as they will see it as a slight on their nations, but in reality it’s true. The next three tests in Australia will be a step up and without question are England’s litmus test of the extent of their true development in a relatively short space of time. 

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From the moment that the Six Nations ended Eddie Jones started to talk about the way that England will handle, and ultimately, beat Australia. He’s referred to England taking a ‘Bodyline’ approach in order to counter and deal with the higher intensity and speed that they'll face. For those that aren’t familiar with the Bodyline concept the Australian is referring to how an England test cricket side went over to Australia in the 1930s and played the game in the most physical and aggressive manner ever seen. In spite of being huge underdogs the touring side finished with a series victory and ruffled a fair few feathers in the process. 

With Eddie Jones’ choice of words he is laying down the challenge to Australia and to his players. He’s starting to deliver a few opening-jabs at their opponents and in doing so demanding that his players know exactly what's required from them. The development of this hard-nosed edge has been high on the Australian's agenda since moment one and it's absolutely essential to their success. During the Rugby World Cup the Australian players believed that they could 'walk all over England' and take a few pops at them without gaining a reaction. That insight was something Ugo Monye shared on BBC 5Live a few months ago and that certainly won't be the case now. 

Eddie Jones’ selection reflects this need for confrontation from the outset. Owen Farrell’s shift to 10 with Luther Burrell entering the fray at 12 provides a physical challenge down both channels. The pack's work in that area hasn't ever been in doubt but should be taken to another level and as part of that I expect Dylan Hartley to have one of his best games in an England jersey and lead from the front. On a fast track England have not only the physical presence to handle Australia but they also players that can let rip in the playing conditions. Anthony Watson, Jonathan Joseph and Mike Brown should all excel in the harder ground as well as George Ford and Jack Nowell coming off the bench and doing the same. 

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Of course the selection of Marland Yarde has baffled many for the aforementioned Exeter Chief had an impressive domestic run-in and looked sharp in the Premiership Final. Yet, Eddie Jones has said that he’s ‘come back from Exeter a little bit short of where he needs to be’ while Yarde has been ‘racing around like a fox’ in training and is in a ‘good bit of form’  

There’s no denying that Marland Yarde has had a quieter time than his counterparts this season however Eddie Jones’ sees tremendous potential in him and he’s right to. I watched the winger come through the ranks at London Irish, gaining his early first-team experience, and he had so much natural talent, pace and power that it must have vexed others. The problem was that he plateaued slightly when he made the ‘big move’ to Harlequins and didn't continue along the same trajectory. Now, it appears that Yarde has matured and has got his feet on the ground. With Eddie Jones’ full backing this ‘bolter’ could have the tour of his life and surprise a lot of people.  For England’s sake, and his own, I hope that he does. 

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England’s back line, scrummage and lineout do not concern me in the slightest however the one area that we always discuss, the breakdown, does. Earlier this week I watched ‘that’ World Cup game and again witnessed Fardy and ‘Pooper’ absolutely destroying England. In the months that have passed since that fateful October evening the Australian trio haven’t gone off the boil and have the potential to be just as destructive on Saturday. Will Robshaw, Haskell and Vunipola have the same issues that Wood, Robshaw and Morgan did at Twickenham? I pray to the rugby gods that they won't. The work that's been done with George Smith, the addition of Maro Itoje's presence and breakdown skills and the greater agility and work rate of England's pack have to come to the fore on Saturday. England can't mess around at the breakdown instead it needs to be quick, clean and efficient with little time to linger. As ever that's a vital area and one of the greatest keys to success in this first match.

No-one needs reminding of the magnitude of this opening-test, mathematically the series won’t be won or lost on Saturday but the side that prevails in Brisbane will take a significant advantage heading into the following two. By my calculations England are in a positive place ahead of Test one for a number of reasons. 

First, they’ve won 6 on the bounce so are taking in winning momentum and the belief that comes with that. Second, they've already had a hit out and got themselves back into the England way whereas the Australians haven’t. This means England should be straight into their groove from the opening moments whereas Australia’s first quarter might be akin to England’s at Twickenham - a little rusty. Third, there’s an unrelenting belief that they are ready and that they can beat their opponents. 

‘We expect to win, we wouldn’t have got on the plane if we didn’t.’ They were the words of Dylan Hartley and believe me when I say that he will never just say something for the sake of it or because it's the right thing to say to the media. There’s a steely resolve in their captain’s eye and Saturday’s test match is going to be one hell of a battle. Under the leadership of Eddie Jones England are starting to understand the potential housed in themselves as individuals and their team mates and the important thing now is that this belief doesn't crumble under the magnitude of the opening-Test in Brisbane. 

England: 15. Mike Brown 14. Anthony Watson 13. Jonathan Joseph 12. Luther Burrell 11. Marland Yarde 10. Owen Farrell 9. Ben Youngs 1. Mako Vunipola 2. Dylan Hartley 3. Dan Cole 4. Maro Itoje 5. George Kruis 6. Chris Robshaw 7. James Haskell 8. Billy Vunipola Replacements: 16. Luke Cowan-Dickie 17. Matt Mullan 18. Paul Hill 19. Joe Launchbury 20. Courtney Lawes 21. Danny Care 22. George Ford 23. Jack Nowell 

Australia: 15. Israel Folau 14. Dane Haylett-Petty 13. Tevita Kuridrani 12. Samu Kerevi 11. Rob Horne 10. Bernard Foley 9. Nick Phipps 1. Scott Sio 2. Stephen Moore (C) 3. Greg Holmes 4. Rory Arnold 5. Rob Simmons 6. Scott Fardy 7. Michael Hooper 8. David Pocock Replacements: 16. Tatafu Polota-Nau 17. James Slipper 18. Sekope Kepu 19. James Horwill 20. Dean Mumm 21. Sean McMahon 22. Nick Frisby 23. Christian Lealiifano