New Zealand’s demolition of Australia in Sydney last month changed the way that a lot of people looked at rugby union’s global pecking order; England’s “historic” 3-0 series victory in Australia suddenly seemed a lot less impressive. Even Eddie Jones has downgraded the events of June, all but dismissing the quality of the performances and how they played. Mental strength and spirit aside in the third international, it seems that England had not achieved anything like their fans had assumed. England’s nine straight wins are proof of rapid recovery and a newfound mental toughness, but not much elseI don’t buy the theories, even though Jones is right to remind the world that these performances were hardly the…

Source: The Times September 15, 2016 16:00 UTC