Eddie Jones compares Italy’s tactics against England to bowling underarm

Eddie Jones compared Italy’s tactic of refusing to engage at the ruck with Trevor Chappell’s infamous underarm bowling and claimed that England’s 36-15 bonus-point victory at Twickenham was “not a game of rugby”. England were caught cold by Italy not committing any men to the ruck after making the tackle – which means there is no offside line – and could not find any rhythm until after half-time, when the Azzurri led 10-5.

Jones’s side reasserted themselves after the break with second-half tries from Danny Care, Elliot Daly, Jack Nowell, who crossed twice, and Ben Te’o but the England head coach claimed supporters deserved their money back.

“Remember Trevor Chappell? Bowled underarm along the ground. Couldn’t hit the ball for six. We saw a Trevor Chappell game of rugby today,” Jones said. “We still haven’t played a game. We haven’t played rugby yet. Congratulations to Italy. I thought they were brilliant in the execution, but if that’s rugby, I’m going to retire. That’s not rugby. If you paid for your ticket, ask for your money back.

“If you want to watch rugby like that, good luck to you. I don’t want to be involved in those sort of games. I’d rather go home, pick up my stumps, put them in the kit bag and go home. If you think that’s smart, fantastic. I don’t think it’s smart rugby. In football they say park the bus. I don’t know what they had, but it was bigger than a bus.”

By not committing any men to the ruck, Italy were in effect able to stand in the way of Care – or Ben Youngs when he came on – and his receivers. England struggled to adapt with Owen Farrell putting in a sloppy performance on his 50th cap and Giovanbattista Venditti’s fortuitous converted try just before half-time putting Italy five points ahead after Dan Cole’s pushover score for England.

A number of England’s players remonstrated with the referee, Romain Poite, and sought clarification on the law but James Haskell was among those given short shrift by the French official, who said: “I’m a referee not a coach.”

Jones said: “If your half‑back can’t pass the ball, then there’s something wrong with the game. You’re looking to pass and all you see is one of their players. Could we have adjusted even quicker? Possibly, but it’s difficult.”

It is not the first time the no-ruck tactic has been employed – Australia used it to impressive effect in the autumn while it was also used in a Champions Cup match between Wasps and Toulouse earlier in the season and the Italy head coach, Conor O’Shea hit back at the criticism that came his side’s way.

“I am sick and tired of people having a pop and having a go,” he said. “We came here to win. We kicked to corners, we missed a few kicks at goal, we attacked off scrums and we showed some unbelievable defence so stop having a go.

“That is a very sad reflection of what they think that group of players did out there today, and what we have to do as a country to try and change – I keep on saying: when we beat South Africa, they were terrible, England beat South Africa here for the first time in 10 years ‘well done, brilliant’. We do something that’s been done by Toulouse and Australia, and we do it and its wrong. Why always us?”