Losing run against England leaves Australia with 'an itch in the back of their heads', claims Eddie Jones

England head coach believes four straight losses against his side leaves Australia on the back foot ahead of this Saturday's autumn international

Eddie Jones believes England already hold a small advantage over Australia due to their four-game unbeaten streak against the Wallabies ahead of this Saturday’s renewal of a famous rivalry.

The Wallabies arrive in London riding a wave of momentum, having beaten the All Blacks last months and Wales in an impressive 29-21 victory last weekend. With Australia head coach, Michael Cheika, naming an unchanged side for this Saturday’s encounter, the two-time world champions look to have struck a rhythm in both selection and performances, and this has not been lost on Jones.

The former Australia head coach has already talked this weekend’s opponents up as the “form side in the world” due to their recent results, but he also cast light on the 2016 summer tour in which England clinched a 3-0 series whitewash Down Under for the first time in their history.

“Their team has changed a little bit,” Jones said. “They’re personnel has changed. Of the team we played against last year, probably six or seven of those players were there and they’ll have a bit of an itch in the back of their head. When the game gets tighter, their memory will go back to those precious games. So that’s an advantage for us, that itch in the back of their head.”

Jones is still wary of the danger that the Wallabies will pose, with his team selection proof of that concern. After being rested for last Saturday’s 21-8 victory over Argentina, Owen Farrell returns to the starting line-up while his Saracens teammate, Maro Itoje, is named among the replacements with the plan to introduce the World Rugby Player of the Year nominee when the going gets tough midway through the second half.

There could easily have been either Charlie Ewels or George Kruis slated as second-row cover this weekend, but 23-year-old Itoje left Jones in no doubt that he is ready to return to the international stage, having also sat out the win against the Pumas.

“We’ve got a plan in place, we knew what we want to do and we know where we want the players to be. And we’re progressing along that,” he said.

“We just felt that the benefit of him [Itoje] not playing rugby this week wasn’t there. That we could give him what he needed to keep improving in terms of his physical conditioning. And he’s just so fresh and eager to go. It’s like he’s had a pre-season, like he’s had a break. It’s like he’s been away to Barbados for three weeks. He’s really ready to go.”

Itoje has been named on the bench by Jones (Getty)

The reason why Itoje finds himself on the bench – and not in the starting line-up – is two-fold. The rousing introduction that the Saracens forward received during the first Test between the British and Irish Lions and New Zealand when he was introduced will no doubt be replicated whenever he comes on, providing the hosts with a confidence boost when the going gets tough.

But there is also the need for a powerful lock in Joe Launchbury to combat the pressure that a much stronger Wallaby pack will bring. The Australian front-row of Scott Sio, Tatafu Polota-Nau and Sekope Kepu boast a handy 210 Test caps between them, but it’s the inclusion of lock Adam Coleman that makes the set-piece so much stronger than England fans will remember. The Melbourne Rebels lock may not be at 100 per cent, but as his try-scoring display against Wales last week proved, his importance to Cheika’s side has resulted in the head coach taking a gamble on Coleman.

Michael Cheika and Jones have a long-winded rivalry (Getty)

“He is not 100 per cent,” said Cheika. “I would be lying if said he was 100 and you know I never lie. I would say he got through today pretty good, better than I thought, and we would not pick him if we did not think he could do his job. He is a tough lad.”

But Jones will deploy Launchbury in the hope of countering Coleman’s ability, before bringing Itoje on to finish the job. “That’s why he has been selected,” Jones added. “He’s got a big job to do. We need a big right lock. We need someone to match Coleman who has been quite dominant for them and Joe has got that job.”