THE England scrum is stuck in reverse gear – which is the exact opposite of the Eddie Jones mission statement. Jones said at the outset of his tenure that one of his main priorities was to restore England’s traditional reputation as a fearsome set-piece force.
Yet, after his first four years in charge, the fault lines were still there. Neal Hatley’s Red Rose scrum took such a battering in the 2019 World Cup final that Jones felt compelled to turn to their Springbok conquerors for a solution, signing their forwards coach, Matt Proudfoot, as Hatley’s replacement.
However, despite Jones taki...