England will rip into Ireland in Six Nations showdown, promises fired up head coach Eddie Jones

Eddie Jones claimed that even a local barista had written off England, before declaring his team will subject ‘red-hot favourites’ Ireland to a furious onslaught at Twickenham on Saturday.

The national coach is in his favoured location; with his back to the wall and the wagons circling him and his players. Jones has seized on Irish optimism ahead of a momentous Six Nations encounter to try to arm his side with a potent sense of fired-up defiance.

Having named a team featuring three starting changes — with Sam Simmonds, Jamie George and Joe Marchant in the XV, as first reported by Sportsmail on Wednesday — he is delivering a rousing mission statement.

‘We have one intention and that’s to go after Ireland,’ said Jones. ‘We’re going to chase them down the street. Everywhere they go, we’re going to be in their faces. We’re going to take time and space away from them. People will enjoy watching us rip into Ireland.

‘We are a very physical team and they haven’t played against a side as physical as us for a long time. If you look at their record, they haven’t played against South Africa since 2017.

‘We played against South Africa last year and did well in those physical stakes, so we intend to really take it to them.’

England’s new attacking game-plan hasn’t quite clicked into gear yet. In their last fixture, they hung on to beat Wales at home but were outscored three tries to one. Their one score came from an overthrown Welsh lineout. However, Jones warned Ireland that his team are close to producing a performance which could overwhelm the visitors.

‘We’re not far away,’ he said. ‘We’re one pass, one kick, one support line away from being very good. But we’re a work in progress. We’ve increased our run metres in 12 months by 40 per cent. We’re pleased with the way that’s going but that’s not converting into tries.

Andy Farrell’s Ireland team have been in fine form so far during the Six Nations

‘The game is about scoring tries, but that will come. We’d like it to be this week but it might be next week or the Australian tour. It’s coming. It’s like a wave coming in. You can see it coming, all of a sudden it crashes and all this power comes out. That’s what we’ll be like.’

Jones is making good use of the sense in many quarters that Ireland are the better team and the more likely title contenders. Andy Farrell’s side beat the All Blacks in November and ran France close in Paris. They are being hailed as a multi-purpose, well-drilled and fluent threat — a long way ahead of England in the evolutionary process.

Knowing the opposition are being talked up suits Jones just fine. Yet, he gave the narrative a twist with his own outlandish anecdote. ‘They’re red-hot favourites,’ he said. ‘I went to the coffee shop yesterday and the girl says, “That Irish team must be good, all their ex-players and ex- England players think they’re going to win the game. They must be a pretty good team. How are you feeling?”. I said, “Just give me the coffee, please!”

‘I don’t say who is and who isn’t favourites. You’ll have read the papers — all the O’Driscolls, and what’s the No8’s name? Heaslip, and all the ex-England players are saying it.

Sam Simmonds starts at No 8 for England with Alex Dombrandt only fit enough for the bench

‘It’s a semi-final and one of the two teams progresses to the final — which is the last game. Both teams know what’s at stake. But if you read the papers, only one team has a chance of winning.’

Away from the balance-of-power issue, Jones offered an emphatic endorsement of Sam Simmonds, who will start at No8 — despite Alex Dombrandt recovering from Covid in time to claim a place on the bench. ‘He’s matured,’ said the head coach of the back-rower, who has earned a reprieve after years in England exile.

‘He kept improving his game and he’s played well enough to say, “You are an idiot if you don’t select me”. He played a set role for Exeter and was very good at it, but to play Test rugby you’ve got to be more adaptable.

‘He’s found a way to use his power and speed to be an effective ball-carrier. But the big part of the game he’s developed is his defensive capabilities. He’s an outstanding defender, he’s going to give Ireland problems.’