The stark difference was the freedom and confidence the Barbarians played with compared to the petrified England team all thinking about what Jones wants to see rather than playing the game. I know it’s essentially a meaningless knockabout bit of fun but even allowing for that it points to the fact that along with consistently getting selection wrong (Randall? Ewels? Underhill?) the prep is all wrong as well.
Nail on head.
Jones doesn’t empower players to express themselves and play with more instinct.
It’s too regimented.
Watch England cricket team being given license to play their shots, with no retribution.
Same players that lost almost 17 straight Tests. Just a different mindset and putting faith back into already talented people.
The guys in the England team know how to play rugby.
Defence is a mindset thing that Shaun Edwards has perfected (even with a scratch side).
Attack is all about imagination and confidence.
I can tell you that if some of those England players were playing for the Barbarians, they too, would have had good games, because the mindset was completely different from the England one.
It doesn’t look much fun playing for England right now.
Always a Wasp
