Eddie Jones takes pot shots at referee
REACTION: England coach Eddie Jones has taken a swipe at referee Mathieu Raynal for the way he officiated the scrum in Saturday’s 15-32 Six Nations loss to Ireland.
Despite the second-minute red-carding of Charlie Ewels and the concession of a penalty at the game’s first scrum, the English pack – which responded to Ewels’ expulsion by shifting Courtney Lawes into the second row and having wing Jack Nowell packing down at flank – flourished as they went on to win a half-dozen penalties and a free-kick.
However, Jones took issue with the lack of an advantage being played to allow England to create while he was also miffed that no Ireland prop was yellow carded for the set-piece malaise they had to endure against a home-team eight that also lost Tom Curry to injury and Kyle Sinckler to concussion.
"I am a bit disappointed the ref didn’t allow us to scrum fully," claimed a frustrated Jones in the aftermath of a match where a defiant England has ultimately stuffed four tries to nil to see their title hopes extinguished heading into next weekend’s round five match away to the Grand Slam-chasing France.
"That would be my only complaint, and we weren’t allowed to play advantage away from the scrum.
"We got four scrum penalties and there was no sign of a yellow card.
"So we want to have a powerful scrum and if World Rugby want to have the scrum in the game they have got to allow strong scrums to dominate. We’re disappointed we didn’t get more out of that."
Switching to the 82-second Ewels red card for his head-to-head contact with Ireland’s James Ryan and the main injuries worries that England suffered, Jones added: "He [Ewels] is disappointed but no one apportions blame on him.
"It was a genuine attempt to make a good tackle, his head was just in the wrong spot and we have got no questions about the red card. Sinckler has got a concussion, so he will go through all the protocol, and Tom Curry is looking a bit worse for wear. I don’t think he will be starting in the next game."
By Liam Heagney, RugbyPass