Why Eddie should take a leaf out of Joe’s book

Following two agonisingly close one-point results against the Springboks and the All Blacks over the last fortnight, garnering victory and defeat in the respective fixtures, Eddie Jones and his English cohort will welcome the challenge of World Rugby's 11th ranked side, Japan, this weekend.

Jones faces his former side for the first time since leaving the Asian nation for the Stormers, and subsequently England, in 2015, coming up against his replacement, New Zealander Jamie Joseph.

England, and more importantly Jones, have lifted a hefty weight from their shoulders by going toe to toe with the world champions for the full 80 minutes. The national side have placed themselves in the perfect position to face Japan this weekend and Australia the next.

Jones has been forced into plenty of injury-enforced changes throughout his tenure with the rose, but this weekend presents the Australian with the opportunity to make team alterations of his own volition.

Shortly after the final whistle at Twickenham last weekend, the 58-year-old hinted at playing a near full strength side against Japan, though it would be more prudent to follow the lead of Ireland boss Joe Schmidt.

In front of a healthy 35,000 fans at Soldier Field Stadium in Chicago two weeks ago, Schmidt picked a side boasting an impressive blend of both experienced hands and fresh faces, with only one or two players standing as genuine starters in a first-choice XV. 

Joey Carbery, Luke McGrath, Andrew Porter, Jordan Larmour and Tadhg Beirne continued their education as international starters while Jacob Stockdale, Bundee Aki, Jack McGrath, Gary Ringrose and Rhys Ruddock brought the experience to help glue the experimental team together.

Ireland were spurned by injuries in the last world cup, knocked out by Argentina in the quarter-finals whilst stripped of injured trio Johnny Sexton, Paul O'Connell and Peter O'Mahony, all of whom could do no more than watch from the stands as the French ran in a 24-9 victory in Cardiff. Schmidt and co are plainly set on ensuring this does not happen a second time around.

Jones would do well to follow Schmidt's lead, resisting the temptation to select a side full of the best players available to him. The potential upshot of putting out a full strength team to secure a confidence-boosting slaughter of Japan at Twickenham, but given the number of positions plagued by injury since Jones took the reigns from Stuart Lancaster three years ago, it seems a team resembling the blend Ireland deployed against Italy would proffer vital long-term benefits.

Within the latest training squad, Jones has included a host of fresh faces, all of whom would do well to earn vital minutes at Test level.

Joe Cokanasiga, Elliot Stooke, Nick Schonert and Zach Mercer stand as prime candidates for the weekend's fixture, while the likes of Manu Tuilagi (if fit), Richard Wigglesworth, Alex Lozowski, Jack Nowell, Charlie Ewels, Jamie George and Ben Moon would benefit from additional game time to either shake off the cobwebs or, in Moon's case, continue their recent international education.

There are two names in particular that could serve pivotal roles for England at the World Cup if deemed capable at Test level, the first of whom is Bath's marauding 6ft 4" 112kg wing, Joe Cokanasiga.

The former London Irish man could be a sizeable asset from England's bench when an injection of attacking tempo and threat is required. Proven as a vicious finisher down the Recreation Ground's left flank and as powerful as his frame suggests, the Fijian-born winger is a man Jones would do well to test within his systems on a matchday.

The next man on the list is Cokanasiga's newly capped Bath teammate, Zach Mercer, who was deemed surplus to requirements against the All Blacks after displaying impressive form against the Springboks. Form that warrants further minutes.

The experienced half-back duo of Wigglesworth and Ford, paired with starts for Lawes and George, would be more than enough to provide a backbone to the team playing Japan; while Moon and Underhill could retain their starting berths against the All Blacks to continue their fine form and accumulate priceless Test minutes after making their breakthrough.

In a single stroke, Jones would both prepare his side for yet another injury crisis and provide star names such as Owen Farrell and Maro Itoje vital time away from the field. With the monstrous volume of work spread across international, Premiership and European commitments for his most important players, a weekend's rest would be worth its metaphorical weight in gold.

Opportunities for England to face tier two nations are scarce, with the RFU organising as many clashes with the big name teams as possible in the attempt of keeping up with the increasing cost of the professional game.

Fixtures such as the weekend's Japan clash usually allows international coaches the opportunity to hand minutes to players not yet trusted during crucial Six Nations fixtures or summer tours against the Southern Hemisphere Rugby Championship sides. 

If the England coaching staff do not make the most of their opportunity this weekend, it could well come back to bite them.

Filed under: International, England
Written by: Alistair Stokes
Follow: @alistokesrugby · @therugbymag