England team analysis: Eddie Jones delivers on promise of aggression with powerful picks

A fascinating series begins with a bold England selection as Eddie Jones picks returning veterans and three uncapped players in his squad for the first Test against Australia. 

It is certainly a team that will tell us about how World Cup preparations are shaping up. Strap in. Here are three strategic strands to watch out for.

Jones has been known to be creative with stats – and even with some facts – during press conferences. It is often worth double-checking his throwaway statements. 

Last week, the 62-year-old suggested that Australia have tended to keep kicks in-field over recent years in order to restrict England’s number of line-outs. Well, the figures corroborate that claim. 

England’s average number of throws per match against the Wallabies since 2016 sits at 10.4. According to Opta, that metric is only lower against two opponents. One is Japan (8), from the small sample size of a sole meeting at Twickenham in 2018.  

The other is Wales (9), and we know they have a bespoke strategy designed to deny England a line-out platform and stifle them with steely phase defence. Jones is clearly expecting a similar ploy from Australia. 

This places greater onus on kick-returns as a means of instigating attacks – and this is an England team ready to launch.  

Freddie Steward is superb under contestable high balls to secure possession in the first place. Billy Vunipola will patrol the back-field, too.  

Many of his touches in a mammoth Premiership final performance came from opposition clearances. Here, he puts Max Malins into space with an unfussy offload: 

Joe Cokanasiga and Jack Nowell provide more power. Jones wants England to be aggressive on the first three phases after gathering the ball and wings will have licence to