by Callum Scaife & Editor
ENGLAND head coach Eddie Jones is famous for his mind games and as this Six Nations draws to a conclusion they are out in force again.
Jones believes that Wales are starting to tire and will face tough competition when Ireland visit Cardiff today.
He will be hoping for an away win at the Principality Stadium as well as a victory for his English side who host old rivals Scotland.
Defeat for Wales would open up the title race and England could lift the title by beating Scotland. A Scottish win would mean Ireland retain the trophy.
“Wales have made more tackles than anybody else in the Six Nations and are starting to look a little bit tired,” Jones told reporters.
However, Wales Online rugby reporter Simon Thomas tweeted that the England coach had got his sums wrong.
England coach Eddie Jones says Wales "look a bit tired" after making more tackles than any other team in the Six Nations. In fact, it's England who have made the most tackles (793), compared to 660 by Wales. Oops! #factcheckEddie
— Simon Thomas (@simonrug) March 14, 2019
A win tomorrow would be Wales’ first grand slam since 2012, their third under coach Warren Gatland and their first Six Nations championship since 2013.
This has been brandished as ‘mind games’ by some England fans but have not impressed Dragons supporters who believe that he should not be talking about the clash in the Welsh capital and should instead be focussing on beating Scotland.
My favourite thing about this is just how obvious it is that losing to Wales is clearly playing on his mind.
Ah well, nevermind eh? Maybe next year?
— William Mark Golder (@Lord_Golder) March 14, 2019
Wales head coach, Warren Gatland, hit back at Jones telling the Australian to focus on his own teams’ job at Twickenham instead of worrying about Wales.
Gatland believes that Wales are fitter than any team in the Championship.
“We’ve worked in the down weeks and we’ve trained as hard as any team I’ve seen,” he said.
“We’ve put that training in the bank and there is no way anyone is training as hard as us in this Six Nations.”
Gatland said Wales have a habit of delivering on the big occasion.
“I pride myself on the record I’ve had in big matches when it’s really mattered,” he added.
“If you want something bad enough and you really believe it can happen, then it often does.”
It remains to be seen whether these mind games from Jones will impact Wales, but Gatland will hope that his side can avoid missing out in what will be his last Six Nations as Wales head coach.
He is stepping down after the World Cup in Japan in November.
