Stuart Barnes' scathing analysis of Eddie Jones and Owen Farrell - Ruck

Stuart Barnes’ scathing analysis of Eddie Jones and Owen Farrell

Former England fly-half Stuart Barnes was scathing in his analysis of Eddie Jones’ team after their 38-all draw with Scotland at Twickenham.

“Too good for their own good. England switched off at halftime and finished the game on emergency power.

“In the process of seeing a 31-7 lead overturned before a dramatic late leveller, England’s World Cup aspirations took a tumble.

“Physically strong for 40 minutes, mentally weak for the second 40, England lack the mentality to win a World Cup,” Barnes wrote in The Sunday Times in an article headlined “World Cup seems a distant hope after woeful meltdown”.

Barnes said Jones was now faced with “the coaching job of his career to create real leadership when it matters” with the World Cup in Japan quickly approaching.

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“Cardiff revisited occurred times 10, creating a state of rugby anarchy. There was no order, no shape, no sense whatsoever in anything England did in a second half that summed up the simmering problems that have been part of the England game since the Stuart Lancaster era,” he wrote.

He pointed the finger straight at Farrell, a co-captain of the team at the start of the tournament but solely in charge by the end with fellow leader Dylan Hartley out injured.

“He (Farrell) was terrible. He was not the only one, but he is the captain, and the fly-half. There are times when blame has to be apportioned. I am afraid this is one of them,” Barnes wrote, saying Farrell failed to keep his cool.

Barnes then contrasted with Wales where their skipper Alun Wyn Jones.

“He knows more about the art of winning than the whole England team put together.

“Eddie Jones often says club and country don’t go together. A team leader for his club is not necessarily the man to lead his country.

“It’s too late for change. A crash course in test match management is required if England are to have any hope in Japan.”

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