RUGBY NEWS - If it had been suggested to Eddie Jones at the start of the Six Nations that only two players would occupy the same position in all five games, the Australian, with 23 wins from 24 games at that point, might have raised a quizzical eyebrow.
What his reaction would have been to the prospect of England's title defence ending with them finishing fifth, on the back of their worst display since before any of the current squad were born, does not bear thinking about.
But those are the realities for England, who played the gracious host to Ireland's grand slam party on Saturday as they lost 24-15 – their first home defeat under Jones and first at Twickenham in the Six Nations since 2012.
Jones had reacted to defeat by France in the previous round by making 10 changes, seven of them in personnel, to face Ireland. That meant that only prop Mako Vunipola and lock Maro Itoje started all five games in the same position.
