Are England too boring? 40-point demolition of Georgia ends with familiar questions being asked

Two pragmatic performances, one significantly better than the other, has seen Eddie Jones’s side get back to playing ‘good old fashioned English rugby’ that has left many calling for a more expansive style

When England beat Italy, a commanding 35-4 victory away from home that put them in pole position to secure the Six Nations, they faced questions.

After routing Twickenham newcomers Georgia with 40 unanswered points to put them top of Group A in the Autumn Nations Cup, those same questions returned.

They were questions asked to Eddie Jones, to the players and to supporters watching across the country locked down from in their own homes: are England too one dimensional, and are England boring?

“Everyone’s got their own opinion, and they’re quite entitled to have their own opinion,” was Jones’s short and dismissive response. He knows the most important thing on the international stage remains to win at all costs, as it keeps men like him in a job. It keeps the unions happy, and provides plenty to fill the trophy cabinet.

But when a nation has a talent pool the size and capability of England’s, there comes an expectation to deliver the type of attacking and aesthetically pleasing rugby that keeps everyone happy. It is something that New Zealand have had to do since their back-to-back World Cup triumphs, and it is something that is starting to be asked of Jones’s England.

Read more: England thrash Georgia in Autumn Nations Cup opener

It would be premature to compare this England side to the All Blacks greats of McCaw, Carter and the rest of their golden generation, but it’s where Jones’s team currently find themselves in the northern hemisphere.

England played poorly in Rome, and won by 29 points. They improved significantly against Georgia this weekend and put 40 points past a side that could well give a few sides a fright in this tournament, with Wales and Italy certain to be looking nervously at the fixture list ahead and pinpointing the clashes with Los Lelos and must-win affairs. The ante will be increased considerably next weekend when Ireland arrive at Twickenham, but then the last they crossed the Irish Sea for south-west London they were completely outplayed in a 24-12 defeat that felt more like a 40-0 loss.

Perhaps the best people to ask are the players themselves. Jones will always look to defend his players as long as they are winning, but no rugby player wants to be known for being part of a ‘boring’ team. It is one of the only criticisms of the 2003 World Cup-winning side that they were too pragmatic in the way they went about their business, with ‘good old fashioned English rugby’ based on a strong scrum and a sturdy maul - two ingredients that are not going to attract many to the sport.

It was exactly what Jones wanted to get England back to when he took over the job in 2016, and it’s what Saturday’s victory was built on. The front row of Ellis Genge, Jamie George and Will Stuart delivered exactly what was asked of them against one of rugby’s most underrated scrum units, while Charlie Ewels and Joe Launchbury proved excellent selections in giving England an unstoppable driving maul.

But, crucially, were the players satisfied with that?

England mauled their way to three tries for Jamie George (EPA)

“It was a big pat on the back for our forward pack but we probably didn’t put our stamp on the game with regards to our attack, but conditions didn’t really allow us to do so,” said hat-trick hero George.

“It was always going to be a tough one for us but at the same time, to keep a team like Georgia down to nil and put in the professional-like performance that we did, was really pleasing.

“I think we are going to move on pretty quickly to Ireland and make sure our focus is on that as they have been pretty impressive since the restart.”

There is evidently a desire to play ‘better’ rugby, but then the fourth try scored on Saturday was none too shabby when Henry Slade’s disguised pass released Jonathan Joseph through the defence to put Elliot Daly in, a try of true quality that saw the ball moved 40 metres without Georgia getting a sniff of it.

Eddie Jones will have no concerns with England being labelled boring (EPA)

To go back to the question of ‘are England too boring?’, it very much depends on who you ask. But the fact that it is being asked is normally a good sign that things are going pretty well results-wise to allow critics to progress to judging on style alone. If England remain ‘boring’ for the next three years, Jones will not care on bit.

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