From an Eng perspective where had that style been hiding? Kind of makes a mockery of Jones saying that we'll add the attack next year.
I think he's been forced to go early on that - He will have been workign on it anyway; but the issues with putting it into play too early are:
A] It may not survive first contact with referees whilst getting new interpretations of the laws (first 2 years of any RWC cycle) - this can be somewhat mitigated by having a couple of ref.s in camp for the last 2 weeks; but may be an issue with non-English ref.s. And B] If you show your hand too early (and too often) then you give opposition analysts more time (and more occassions) to coutner your intended attack.
If you take the last RWC cycle; he did the same thing:
Year 1 he proved that England's poor performance wasn't because of the players; and he improved, and earned, their confidence.
Year 2 he told us all that he'd be beasting the players; every international window would be treated like a RWC (no unenforced call-ups) and the players would be playing whilst knackered in an attempt to improve decision making and margins after having given there all. He was, of course, criticised for doing exactly what he told us he'd do.
Year 3 he evolved the basic game-plan, made a few changes to the balance of the team. He was, of course, criticised for being boring and having lost the dressing room.
Year 4, he introduced new attacking moves and structures, but only generally for 1-2 plays per match; and then 2-3 matches themselves. Suddenly, the criticisms largely disappeared.
This time around, we've had
Year 1 he told us that he saw his main job was to buck the trend of losing RWC finalists, and not suffer a big slump in form/results; trying to rebuild confidence after the comprehensive defeat to the Boks
Year 2 he told us that he'd be concentrating on the core game-plan, and not even looking to attack until after the lions (for reasons, see above). Covid and Sarries relegation (and over-confidence? arrogance?) have resulted in underporfmance of the core game-plan in the first 2 matches; and heaped criticism on Eddie; so that plan has had to be fast-forwarded a little; but still constrained by the smaller Covid squad. We saw some attacking moves against Wales, and several of them against France. They looked rusty, and as if they hadn't been practiced and evolved enough on the training pitch - almost as if they were a first / second draft, rather than the finished article.
ETA: Of course, initially, when drawing up his 4-year plan; he expected to be handing the reigns over to someone else at this point.
Year 3 was expected to be the year of evolving the game-plan and the balance of the team; and the first trials of new attacking patterns, to be fine-tuned, and trialled in full matches in year 4.
