Rugby World Cup-winning coach Sir Clive Woodward believes Eddie Jones’ honeymoon is over following England’s 16-22 defeat by France in Paris on Saturday.
Woodward was clear over England’s greatest failing at the Stade de France, where the French scored a penalty try and five penalty goals.
“The biggest problem of all was the huge penalty count against England: 16 in total,” insisted Woodward, who guided England to 2003 World Cup Final glory against an Australia side coached by Jones.
“You are not going to beat any top-10 team in the world with a statistic like that, especially away from home.”
It was a point echoed by one of Woodward’s former England captains, Lawrence Dallaglio.
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“Discipline was awful,” wrote Dallaglio in his Sunday Times column, the former No.8 adding that 16 penalties conceded was an “absurd number”.
“Yet again, it was the same problem: players going to ground too easily, getting isolated and holding on.”
Woodward added: “England’s backs again scarcely looked like scoring a try, which is a major worry,
“The form and approach of George Ford is the biggest worry of all and for the second game in a row he was substituted off and Owen Farrell moved to No.10. That shouldn’t be happening to your major playmaker.
“Although he [Ford] has had his moments in friendlies and games when England get on top, he is struggling in games that really matter.”