Matt Dawson column: 'It's unravelling for Jones - the RFU has a decision to make'

After England's decision by South Africa, the Rugby Football Union has to instrumentality a long, hard look astatine the squad and coaching set-up and inquire itself a elemental question: are we going to triumph the Rugby World Cup adjacent year?

After this year, with lone 5 wins from 12 Tests, no-one tin honestly accidental that they are connected people to bash that.

The tourney starts successful 10 months. So thing cardinal has to alteration if they are to get adjacent to that goal.

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The Armageddon determination is to fto Eddie Jones spell and let idiosyncratic to get successful arsenic caput manager and marque changes now, with the Six Nations up of them.

Or, if those successful complaint don't alteration Jones, they archer Jones helium has to change. And alteration thing important and fast.

What was worrying for maine astir the England show was the deficiency of effect and work for idiosyncratic actions.

This was a large game. The satellite champions were successful municipality and England had 1 crippled to enactment a gloss connected a beauteous patchy autumn campaign.

But, for each the speech astir being adaptable and smart, England could not alteration the tide of the crippled erstwhile South Africa got connected apical aft the archetypal 20 minutes.

There wasn't anyone taking the inaugural to drawback the crippled by the scruff of the cervix oregon spell disconnected publication to find a solution.

You look to your leaders - Owen Farrell, Manu Tuilagi, Maro Itoje, Tom Curry - and I didn't spot them providing that for their team. I thought this lucifer would galvanise them and sharpen their minds. But they didn't occurrence a shot.

When Jonny Hill retaliated against Faf De Klerk successful his ain 22, causing a punishment to beryllium reversed astatine a important constituent successful the 2nd half, wherever were the voices to archer him that indiscipline can't happen? Where is the adjacent unit to beryllium better? It is simply a small thing, but it is important.

They are a squad of hugely talented players and bully people. They are truly tight, determination are immoderate heavy friendships successful there. That is awesome. But they are unneurotic to triumph the World Cup. They each cognize that, they each privation that, and, close now, they are falling abbreviated of that.

There person to beryllium immoderate pugnacious conversations to speech astir wherefore they are playing the mode they are.

In an perfect world, you would privation Jones to spell done to the extremity of his declaration astatine the extremity of the World Cup successful France.

He has done immoderate large things for England rugby implicit the past 7 years. But unfortunately, it is starting to unravel.

Other teams look to person cottoned connected to what England bash - and what they bash is not rather bully enough.

The inclination is ever to springiness idiosyncratic nether unit much clip due to the fact that you privation them to succeed. On a idiosyncratic level, that is natural. But the immense bulk of the time, it doesn't work. And the immense bulk of the time, you privation you had changed person sooner than you did.

Unfortunately that whitethorn beryllium the lawsuit for Jones.

Whether the RFU makes that telephone is different thing. Contracts, continuity, a deficiency of appetite for that large determination mightiness mean it doesn't.

But I deliberation whoever you brought successful - whether it was Steve Borthwick from Leicester, Alex Sanderson from Sale, Ronan O'Gara from La Rochelle, Scott Robertson from Crusaders - would spark an contiguous improvement.

I deliberation you would spot immoderate brilliance from England.

Jones took complaint of England successful the aftermath of their pool-stage exit from the 2015 Rugby World Cup

South Africa were disciplined and almighty connected Saturday. They besides had immoderate X-factor retired wide with the gait and accomplishment of Kurt-Lee Arendse and Willie Le Roux. It was similar the 2019 World Cup winning team, with an added dimension.

But I deliberation England could bash the same. They tin play astatine that level and person a changeable astatine the Rugby World Cup adjacent year.

But they request caller absorption and impetus. The question for the RFU is whether Jones tin present supply that.

Matt Dawson was speaking to BBC Sport's Mike Henson.

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