Courtney Lawes has branded suggestions Eddie Jones’s job is under threat if England end another disappointing Six Nations campaign with defeat against France on Saturday as “ridiculous”.
England have lost their two trips to Paris under Jones and a third defeat against the grand-slam chasing French could condemn them to a second successive fifth-place finish in the championship. Jones survived the inquest into last year’s dismal campaign but a repeat performance will lead to another uncomfortable post-mortem at the Rugby Football Union, less than 18 months before the 2023 World Cup.
Despite having grand designs on the title, England have managed victories over just Italy and Wales so far this championship and, excluding the game against the Azzurri, have scored only two tries. Lawes, however, has brushed off the criticism facing Jones and England, who head into the final weekend of the championship already out of the title race for the second year in a row.
He said: “The thing is everyone’s complaining nowadays. It doesn’t matter what you do, how good you’ve been or whatever, somebody’s going to find something to complain about. Somebody’s always going to say ‘this person should be doing this, shouldn’t be doing this, should be in the team or shouldn’t be’. At this point it’s so ridiculous that there’s no point in even looking. To be honest, we don’t use it as motivation, no, because there’s no point in even watching it.”
While the criticism of Jones is growing louder, he retains the public support of his players. This week Sam Simmonds issued a passionate defence of the head coach and Lawes was similarly glowing, crediting Jones with an upturn in form that has seen him playing a key part on the last two British & Irish Lions tours.
“He has been massive for my career and really helped me push towards my potential,” added Lawes. “It’s been massive. I don’t know how many Lions tours I would have got without him and if he hadn’t given me a kick up the arse. Certainly we all dig in for the staff, every member of staff, every person who helps us is important to the team. We essentially want to go out there and play for all the people, including each other, that have helped us to get to this point and who we feel we owe it to, essentially.”
The difference between beating France and finishing third, or losing and ending the championship in fifth again, is around £1m in prize money for the RFU and victory would alleviate the pressure on Jones with a three-Test tour of Australia to come this summer. It would also go some way to vindicating Jones’s New England project but of the starting XV only three players – Maro Itoje, Ben Youngs and Jack Nowell – have tasted victory in Paris.
“This is a special opportunity for us as a team and individuals so I think we’re going to be ready to go,” said Itoje. “Playing against France is always competitive, but we’re playing for England here. Our motivation is to win and we don’t want to let this game pass us by. Playing for England is a massive honour and there is a responsibility that we do our best each time.
“You can’t take these type of moments for granted. You never know when they’re going to come again. The future is not guaranteed, but what we can guarantee is living in the present. As a team and individuals we want to take full advantage of the opportunity.”
Discounting matches against Italy, England have managed just two victories in their last 10 away matches in the Six Nations and two years ago at the Stade de France managed to scramble a losing bonus point only at the death.
Jamie George this week acknowledged the need to silence the French crowd and Itoje added: “They’re loud. They’re noisy. They love to support their team, especially when they’re doing well. They perhaps go a little bit quiet when things aren’t going their way. But when their team is on top and they have momentum, they’re amongst the loudest fans on the circuit.”
