"For all the derision that Eddie Jones drew for describing replacements as "finishers", he always ferociously defended the rebrand. "Maybe you guys have to start reporting differently," he once said, with that impish grin. "Come into modern rugby. Join us, boys. Rugby has changed, it's a 23-man game." On the evidence of some striking revelations from the first round of Six Nations matches, where the teams who suffered were those denuded of squad depth, we should perhaps concede that he was right."
"Take Ireland, horribly weakened by injuries but discovering against France that the selection of alternatives was about as deep as a paddling pool. Or Scotland, who toiled in vain to inject any impact from the bench in a Roman quagmire. The less said about Wales' all-systems dysfunction, perhaps, the better. By contrast, Steve Borthwick, having learnt at Jones's right hand, embraced the principle of a 23-man game to full effect at Twickenham, sustaining England's supremacy thanks to an abundance of back-row riches."
Eddie Jones staunchly defended describing replacements as 'finishers' and urged acceptance of rugby as a 23-man game. Early Six Nations evidence showed teams lacking squad depth suffered most. Ireland, weakened by injuries, revealed very limited alternative options against France. Scotland failed to gain meaningful impact from the bench in difficult conditions. Wales displayed broad systemic dysfunction. Steve Borthwick, applying the 23-man principle at Twickenham, used abundant back-row options to maintain England's dominance and demonstrate the competitive value of strong bench selection.
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