Rejuvenated England show spirit, unity and ‘never-say-die courage’

Since losing the 2019

Since losing the 2019 World Cup to South Africa, England’s rugby
team have been an uninspiring prospect, said Robert Kitson in
The Observer^[1]. Their play has been
stodgy and risk-averse, their results decidedly mixed. In the Six
Nations earlier this year, they slumped to a lowly fifth place – a
result that led to calls for the sacking of their coach, Eddie
Jones. 

But what a transformation has taken place since, said Oliver
Brown in The Daily
Telegraph^[2]. Over the summer, Jones
refreshed England’s squad, bringing in a clutch of talented young
players – notably the Harlequins fly-half Marcus Smith – and
recalibrated his side’s tactics. The results have been plain to see
during this autumn’s internationals. Jones’s side have simply been
unrecognisable from the “rabble” they resembled earlier this year –
in a series of fine performances they have achieved a clean sweep
of victories in their three Tests. 

The spirit and unity of the new-look England were plain to see
at Twickenham on Saturday, when they took on South Africa, said
Chris Foy in the Daily Mail^[3]. It was an immensely
challenging match, and for much of it Jones’s side were “under
siege against a dominant South African pack”. But displaying a
“never-say-die courage”, they held their own magnificently – and
ultimately clinched a last-gasp victory when Smith drew a penalty a
minute from the end within clear sight of the posts. Showing a
composure that belied his age and experience, the 22-year-old
nervelessly kicked it home to give his side a one-point
victory.

South Africa shouldn’t have lost this, said Stuart Barnes in
The Times^[4]. Clearly the better
side, they scored 18 points in penalties to England’s eight – a
difference that normally would result in a comfortable victory. In
short, the Springboks “blew it”. Still, Jones deserves applause for
adopting more adventurous tactics and selecting with an eye to the
future. Finally, his England look like a side worth following.