Anthony Seibold: 'Courtney Lawes, Owen Farrell, Ellis Genge - you want to go to war with those guys'

In 2016, England delivered a backs-to-the-wall stand for the ages in their 23-7 second Test win against Australia in Melbourne that secured a series victory. Six years on and another defensive rearguard has never been more needed –to save the series and potentially the future of head coach Eddie Jones 

With so much focus on the issues around the attack, England’s defensive problems have slipped under the radar. This year, England have conceded 15 tries in six Tests – and that does not even include the eight tries they shipped against the Barbarians. At an average of 2.5 tries per game that is England’s worst defensive return in well over 20 years. 

There have been some signs of encouragement under defence coach Anthony Seibold, who was appointed last summer to replace John Mitchell. The former Australian rugby league coach points to the 27-26 victory against world champions South Africa as his “signature game”.

“That particular night we took time and space away from the team,” Seibold said. He was also rightly proud of his team’s spirit in the Six Nations defeat to Ireland after Charlie Ewels was sent off inside two minutes. 

But both in that game and in the first Test against Australia, England wilted late on, conceding three tries in 16 minutes in Perth. “I’m not sure of the reason,” Seibold said. “It’s something we need to be better with, managing that last 20 minutes.”

What Seibold is convinced of is that defence comes down to attitude and effort. “I’m all about the areas that don’t take skill or talent,” Seibold said. “As a coach I am very much defensively biased and I always have been. We can’t let Australia play with the latitude that they want. 

“They want to play in big open spaces, that’s the way they want to