Eddie Jones says England have firepower to go through opponents
Thursday 7 March 2019 22:43, UK
England head coach Eddie Jones says his squad now have the firepower to go straight through their opponents.
Ben Te'o and Manu Tuilagi will start together in midfield for the first time against Italy in the Six Nations on Saturday, while Joe Cokanasiga has been selected on the right wing. The three destructive carriers have a combined weight of 52 stones.
Italy coach Conor O'Shea has described the selection as Jones' "dream team", adding that it is a side of "absolutely enormous" dimensions.
Jones has revealed that its origins date back to an autumn international at Twickenham in 2016 when England were in the midst of their world record-equalling sequence of 18 successive Test wins.
"I remember playing Australia three years ago and we were 8kgs per player lighter," said Jones, who on that day masterminded a 37-21 victory against Michael Cheika's Wallabies.
"We're able now to pick a big backline which can play a little bit differently. If Italy go to a dump and fan type defence - and we're not sure what they'll do - we've now got the firepower to go through them.
"In certain games, it's massively important, when maybe you're not getting fast ruck ball and the only way to get through the line is by smashing through it. At times you need to have a team that can play like that.
"We have to be able to pick that sort of team, if that sort of game is coming up - and maybe it's going to be that sort of game on Saturday."
