Eddie Jones puts faith in unchanged XV and seeks to emulate class of 2003 despite his own trauma after that final
Even Japan’s finest origami artists would be impressed by the amount of time Eddie Jones has devoted to one single sheet of paper. For almost four years England’s head coach has been obsessed with trying to build a team capable of winning the 2019 Rugby
World Cup final and his grand design has finally been unveiled.
The fact the 23-man matchday squad to face
South Africa contained no surprises will satisfy Jones almost as much as the outstanding victory against
New Zealand last weekend. This is not the week for hasty tucks and folds, with the past three tournament winners having all named unchanged XVs for the final. Only on the bench, where the unluckily injured Willi Heinz makes way for Ben Spencer, has Jones been forced into an 11th-hour tweak.