UK RUGBY WRITER Stephen Jones believes that Andy Farrell’s Ireland may be the best Six Nations team ever.
The Sunday Times’ rugby correspondent joined Eoin Toolan and Murray Kinsella to preview this Saturday’s clash between Ireland and England on today’s episode of Rugby Weekly Extra, a podcast available exclusively to members of The42 twice per week.
While there has been some suggestion that England will bounce back from last weekend’s hammering against France to give Ireland a big challenge in Dublin on Saturday, Jones is not convinced.
“It would be easy to imagine an England who were so humiliated that they will come out steaming, they’ll be different, full of character, they’ll be fiery,” said Jones.
“On the other hand, there’s also the possibility that Ireland are so good and so superior that they’ll run up another big score. People are saying it will be 15 or 20 points, I’m not so sure about that.
“The Irish team has got so many cards. I’ve seen them have good teams where the only thing they do was get Ollie (Campbell) or Wardy (Tony Ward) to kick the ball up in the air, but now they’ve got so many ways to do it.”
In fact, Jones feels that this is the best Irish team ever and may even be the greatest Six/Five Nations side we have seen.
“Yes, there’s no question about that,” he said when asked if it’s the best Irish side ever.
“You’ve got to go back and say that in terms of an era, winning away in America against the All Blacks (in 2016) was unbelievable but anyone who has been to New Zealand and seen a three-Test series, to win a decider is absolutely unbelievable.
“To win a decider when you’ve united the All Blacks against you in every respect is just glory days. I’ve never seen Wales beat New Zealand, I’ve seen Newport beat New Zealand but never seen Wales beat New Zealand.
“Ireland are just phenomenal. They’re probably coming up to being the best team in the Six Nations that I’ve ever seen from any country. I was just about young enough to watch Wales in the ’70s but Wales weren’t successful when they went abroad. They didn’t win in New Zealand.
“I just think these guys, you could make the case that they’re the best Six Nations or Five Nations team that there has been.”
England are in the doldrums after last weekend’s record defeat at Twickenham against France.
While Jones game his opinion on England’s team selection and game plan under Steve Borthwick, he also said that there are wider issues at play in English rugby.
“There are deep issues with the way the game is run,” said Jones.
“When I started and long after I started, we used to say, ‘Bloody hell, if only Ireland would stop being so conservative as a union.’ Well, actually, they’re streets ahead now, years ahead.
“I go back to England’s complete loss of scrummaging power, which used to be their staple. After Greg Feek’s years in Ireland, suddenly you’re not even worried that Tadhg Furlong can’t play because you’ve got someone else.
“Joined-up, it is definitely not (in England). I believe strongly in the club structure but the problem is that because there are so many pauses for internationals, someone like Owen Farrell can only play one game in three for Saracens which is hopeless.
“The England U20s should never be as poor as they’ve been, in my opinion, so it is a low point. Famously, the RFU have got so many executives but none of them are really in charge of professional rugby. Conor O’Shea is taking all the stick in the world but he’s on his own and I’m not sure what he’s supposed to do.
“The present is bad but the future, I just don’t know where it’s going to improve.”
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