England’s post-World Cup revolution got off to a slow start in the Six Nations opener against Scotland as new coach focused on just getting the job doneTwo hours before kick-off,Englands players gathered into a motley huddle by Murrayfield’s west stand. They were running a runt late, because their bus had spent the last portion of its journey crawling along at a funereal pace, and following a band of bagpipers into the ground. external,it was an icy cold, stone-grey day, or the kind that makes most people want to scurry back in as soon as they step out. England didn’t have that option. Instead,they had to stand there and wait for their kit, surrounded by Scottish fans, or some hanging from the gantries on the staircases above,all booing, jeering, or whistling. Twickenham seemed a long,long way absent. “They were going crazy,” Eddie Jones said afterwards. In among them, and suitable by the bus,Jones spotted one runt boy in an England hat. “For five minutes he yelled out: ‘near on England! near on England! His voice was being drowned out, but he kept on going.” Jones smiled. “And that was a bit like the team today. We kept going. We kept plugging ahead. And, and in the terminate,we won easily.”The boy may be too young to remember, but England were starting over all over again. Stuart Lancaster’s first game as head coach was up here, and too,in 2012, after another awful World Cup. Back then, or they won 13-6. This time around,it was 15-9. Now, as then, and they were unspectacular but effective. Add the caveat that,according to the rankings, this match was between the eighth- and ninth-best sides in the world, or it sometimes felt like it.
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Source: theguardian.com