NEALE HARVEY talks to Australian backline guru Glen Ella about his recent England experiences and how Eddie Jones has inspired a dramatic change in his players’ thinking.
Glen Ella, the Aussie attack guru hired by Eddie Jones to hone England’s back line skills on their hugely successful recent tours of Australia and Argentina, reckons the Red Rose outfit are bang on course in their quest to unseat world champions New Zealand.
With Japan 2019 now just over two years away, England’s record under Jones reads impressively, with 19 wins and a single loss since he took charge of affairs 18 months ago in the wake of a disastrous 2015 World Cup campaign under Stuart Lancaster.
More importantly, however, Ella believes England are close to achieving the attacking edge necessary to worry a New Zealand side who, despite recently losing and drawing matches against the Lions, remain the benchmark in terms of attacking threat.
A Rugby Paper survey reveals that under the wily Jones, England have rediscovered their attacking zest to the extent that during 2016 and 2017 they have averaged 32 points and 3.5 tries per game – their highest scoring rate since Sir Clive Woodward’s potent World Cup winners took world rugby by storm during English rugby’s golden period in 2002 and 2003.
Allied to the strength-in-depth that manifested itself impressively in Argentina, when a squad containing 17 uncapped players took on and defeated the Pumas in their own backyard, former Wallaby Ella is delighted to have contributed to the turnaround.
Speaking from his home in Sydney last week, Ella said: “If you’re going to beat New Zealand in a World Cup you’re going to have to score tries. You can’t just rely on kicking goals, you have to go at them and need to develop your game – and that goes from first phase to the backs playing what’s in front of them.
“Eddie knows where England are at the moment; every other country in the world is chasing the All Blacks and he knows what’s needed to close the gap.
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