Eddie Jones and England backroom feeling the heat after latest mauling

You have to wonder what might happen to England the next time their opponents keep 15 men on the field. For the second match running they were outclassed, outfought and out-thought by opposition who had a player sent off. If there was a degree of mitigation against the Barbarians, this was a troubling first defeat by Australia in nine matches and the first under Eddie Jones, who now comes under intense scrutiny. Positives for England are limited to Henry Arundell’s mesmeric late cameo on his debut and the fact that Australia did not backheel any conversions.

The laws will command plenty of column inches in the coming days considering there were four cards here and plenty of controversial decisions across the weekend’s matches but the most significant of this encounter is that attributed to Murphy. For everything that could go wrong for Australia did from the moment Quade Cooper was ruled out only minutes before kick-off with a calf injury.

The full-back Tom Banks and the tighthead Allan Alaalatoa followed with arm and head injuries respectively before Darcy Swain’s red card for a head-butt on Jonny Hill. Misfortune as extensive as that can be galvanising, for example England’s spirited display against Ireland in the Six Nations but it should be noted that Jones’s side never looked like scoring a try when down to 14 in that match. Australia scored three after Swain’s sending off, the Barbarians six at Twickenham which raises enormous questions about Anthony Seibold, England’s defence coach, who was a surprise appointment at the start of the season considering his lack of experience in rugby union.

Martin Gleeson, the attack coach, will be feeling the heat too given that England were uninspired with the ball in hand –