Jones admitted two mistakes in England's World Cup final defeat to South Africa

21 October 2023 , 07:00

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Eddie Jones saw his England side outplayed in the World Cup final in 2019

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and Eddie Jones concedes he made two selection errors during the World Cup final four years ago.

England had delivered a generational performance in the semi-finals to dethrone New Zealand, but saw their hopes ended by South Africa in the final a week later as the Springboks delivered a dominant performance to lift the trophy for a third time in Yokohama.

Jones had come up short in his only previous final when he was in charge of Australia in 2003 and again had to deal with being a runner-up, this time with England. He's accepted that he shouldn't have picked Mako Vunipola in the front row, instead stating that Joe Marler would've been a better choice given his scrummaging qualities.

The Australian also believes he got his back selection wrong, opting for George Ford, Owen Farrell, Manu Tuilagi and Elliot Daly, who struggled to cope with a physical Springboks outfit that included Damian de Allende, Lukhanyo Am and Cheslin Kolbe.

In his autobiography 'My Life and Rugby', which was released two weeks later, Jones acknowledged Marler should have got the nod over Vunipola. He also admitted his 'playmaking backline' proved too lightweight against a physical South Africa side.

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Jones however did not admit he made a mistake with his players on the bench, as substitute tight-head Dan Cole was forced into action as early as the second minute after Kyle Sinckler suffered a a concussion.

Mako Vunipola was picked ahead of Joe Marler, which Eddie Jones regrets

England struggled to recover following their loss in Japan, although they did win a Covid-affected Six Nations the following year. Jones had continued to be vocal about England's build up and ambitions for the World Cup in 2023, having signed a contract extension to lead the team into the tournament.

The Red Rose though continued to underwhelm in the Six Nations earlier this year, winning just two of their five games. A poor run in the Autumn internationals last season also saw England win one of their four games, with South Africa enjoying a dominant win at Twickenham.

That defeat proved to be Jones' last game in the England coaching box as the RFU opted for a change less than a year out from the World Cup, bringing in Steve Borthwick, who had served as the Australian's assistant. The former Leicester Tigers boss must now attempt to mastermind a huge upset as England seek a first World Cup win over South Africa since 2003.

Samuel Meade