England boss Eddie Jones hoping players will become movie stars in ‘Twickers Miracle’

Eddie Jones has urged England to act as movie stars rather than extras by producing a blockbuster when the four-year wait to face New Zealand ends at Twickenham today.

England boss Eddie Jones hoping players will become movie stars in ‘Twickers Miracle’

By Duncan Bech

Eddie Jones has urged England to act as movie stars rather than extras by producing a blockbuster when the four-year wait to face New Zealand ends at Twickenham today.

The All Blacks have been installed as overwhelming favourites to win a fixture their head coach Steve Hansen considers to be bigger than last year’s series against the British and Irish Lions.

Jones believes opponents are often bewitched by New Zealand’s dazzling skills, reducing them to the role of spectators as their try-line is repeatedly breached before coming to their senses.

If England are to topple the world champions, Jones insists it is they who must write the script.

“You can either make the movie or be in the movie, and we want to make the movie,” said Jones, whose victory over South Africa as Japan coach at the 2015 World Cup is being made into a film called ‘The Brighton Miracle’.

“Sometimes when you play New Zealand you sit there and you watch and you think ‘they’re the best team in the world, we can’t compete against them’.

“You sit there, eat popcorn, have a can of Pepsi and watch the movie. Then you realise ‘we can be in this’, but by then it’s too late. So we want to make the movie, we want to be film directors. We don’t want to sit there and watch it.”

Injury-depleted England are facing the strongest available All Blacks team complete with the likes of Beauden Barrett, Rieko Ioane and Brodie Retallick, but are buoyed by last Saturday’s stirring victory over South Africa.

To aid their pursuit of a stunning upset, survivors from the 2012 victory at Twickenham and the second Lions in Wellington last year have been canvassed for their views on where New Zealand are vulnerable.

“33% of our players have beaten them and understand that like any team they’ve got weaknesses and that we’ve got an opportunity to get at them,” Jones said.

“The other 67% want to beat them, so we’re happy to go out there and get stuck in.

“If we’re good enough, then we beat them. If we’re not good enough then we work out how we can get good enough. That’s the thing.”

Maro Itoje will once again be asked to carry the fight up front, but the confrontational Lions lock knows he must operate on the right side of a fine disciplinary after giving away three penalties and earning a yellow card in the first 15 minutes against South Africa.

“The way I play is fairly on the line. I need to be competitive and abrasive, but I have to react to the referee better and understand what he is and isn’t going to let go,” he said.

Itoje is joined in the starting XV by former Saracens team-mate Chris Ashton, who makes his first Test start in four years in the hope he will plunder the tries needed to topple the All Blacks.

“Chris is one of the fittest players I have ever come across,” Itoje said.

“If he weren’t a rugby player he’d be a marathon runner because he can run and run for days without getting tired. I wish I had his fitness.”

New Zealand’s last major match at Twickenham resulted in them lifting the World Cup trophy with victory over Australia in 2015.

The All Blacks’ most recent meeting with England came the previous year, when they secured a narrow 24-21 win.

Today’s Hillary Shield match will be the first time Hansen has taken on an England team coached by Eddie Jones.

Hansen feels the opposition have improved significantly since Australian Jones replaced Stuart Lancaster as head coach in November 2015.

“They won 18 Tests in a row coming out of a World Cup that was deemed to be a disaster. You couldn’t describe it any other way,” said Hansen.

“I think Stu did a lot of work to set some platforms and then Eddie came in and really took it to another level.

“Winning 18 games in a row is not easy - only two teams in the history of world rugby have ever done it. So you’d have to say they have improved, but coming with that is pressure. How do we keep doing it? Do we get comfortable?”

New Zealand have named their strongest available team, including a centre pairing of Jack Goodhu, who has recovered from glandular fever, and Sonny Bill Williams.

Prop Joe Moody suffered a cut eye in training, so Karl Tu’inukuafe takes his place in the front row of a side captained by number eight Kieran Read and directed by Beauden Barrett at fly-half.

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