Springbok assistant coach Felix Jones eyes up ‘tasty’ England Test
· Citizen
Springbok assistant coach Felix Jones said he is not surprised England’s rugby team have improved so much over the past few years, and expects their Test against South Africa in June to be fierce.
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England’s 12-match winning streak, hailed by home fans as proof they were the best team in the world, has now been halted by losses to Ireland and Scotland – though South African supporters were never entirely convinced.
Most recall the Springboks winning their last three matches against England, and securing sizeable wins in recent years.
Notably, the Boks beat England 27-13 in Twickenham in 2022 and 32-12 during the 2019 World Cup.
But those keeping a close eye on England rugby have seen a renewed energy in the team, and noted their wins against New Zealand (33-19), Australia (25-7), France (26-25) and Argentina on three occasions in the past year or so.
Two weeks after they kick their season off with a friendly against the Barbarians in Gqeberha, the Springboks host England for a much-anticipated Test match in Johannesburg on 4 July.
England on the up – Jones
Jones, a former Ireland international, has deep insight into the inner workings of European rugby.
He was part of South Africa’s delegation to World Rugby’s Shape of the Game conference in London last week, discussing changes in play, such as an increase in contestable kicking, with similarly positioned delegates.
“If you look at [England’s] trajectory, 12 games in a row, they’ve lost two games against two very determined teams, I think their trajectory will keep going in the trajectory they want it to,” he said.
The Springbok coach said anyone with his ear to the ground knew that Ireland were going to bring something special against England, while the Scotland-England Calcutta Cup is “one of the most contested fixtures” in the Six Nations.
England could be forgiven for losing such tough matches.
“The game here in the summer will be tasty,” he said.
Euro teams take a leaf out of the Bok book
Jones also noted that most of the figures he spoke with at the conference were happy with the increase in contestable kicking, as pioneered by the Springboks.
In fact, the current Six Nations had shown an adaptation in that direction.
Bok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick agreed, stating that France’s success, and especially that of wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey becoming the first player to score in eight consecutive Six Nations matches, showed their willingness to evolve and thrive on unstructured play.