Embattled coach Eddie Jones believes his team is heading in the "right direction" after England's come-from-behind 21-17 victory in the deciding third Test on Saturday to seal a bruising series at a sold-out Sydney Cricket Ground.Jones's men slumped 10-3 behind, but bounced back with 18 unanswered points to take control and hold off a frantic late charge from the Wallabies.After tries for Freddie Steward and Marcus Smith, England's fiercely tackling defence thwarted the Wallabies to claim the newly-minted Ella-Mobbs Cup with a 2-1 series victory.
Jones's team became only the second England side to win a series in Australia after a historic whitewash in 2016. The triumph is a much-needed tonic for Jones, who has been under increasing pressure ahead of next year's World Cup in France after an indifferent start to the year for England. "We weren't at our best in this Test, but we kept fighting and we kept in the game, particularly the defence of our finishers at the end and that got us the result," Jones told Sky Sports. "It's a really positive step.
We've always felt the team is going in the right direction. "Sometimes the results don't reflect that."England captain Courtney Lawes, who had contentiously been preferred to lead the side ahead of Owen Farrell, echoed Jones's sentiments and praised the team's resilience. "We fought for each other, we have had a great four weeks here, really enjoyed ourselves," he said. "The boys just stuck together and found a way to win and that's the big improvement, I think." It was a bitter result for the Wallabies, who have been trying to usher in a new era after a period in the wilderness.