Rugby: England to bring on own version of Boks 'Bomb Squad'

England coach Eddie Jones during a press conference after naming their team to play New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup semi-final, Tokyo, Japan. Photo / Mark Mitchell

England will unleash their own version of South Africa's "Bomb Squad" after Eddie Jones took the unconventional decision to name six forwards on his eight-man bench, as well as making three changes to his starting pack, to face Scotland at Murrayfield tomorrow.

Jones believes the deployment of such forward power could prove decisive in the mission to reclaim the Calcutta Cup and insisted his side were still capable of winning rugby's Six Nations title despite the defeat by France in Paris last weekend.

It is only the fourth time in Jones' tenure he has opted to stack his replacements bench with an extra forward — the conventional split is five, with three backs.

It was a tactic the Springboks perfected on the way to winning the World Cup in Japan, including their victory over England in the final, allowing head coach Rassie Erasmus to introduce six fresh forwards, self-styled as the "Bomb Squad" because of their destructive impact.

Now Jones, who has since recruited Springbok forwards coach Matt Proudfoot, has opted for a similar selection and he believes it will be a key factor in combating the Scots, particularly at the breakdown, and in England's ability to convert pressure into points.

"We think it's going to be a high-volume, high intensity game in the forwards," Jones said. "We've got an obvious game plan against them. We're not hiding from the fact that we want to take them on up front.

"Part of the focus has been to correct our attacking inside the 22. We got in there 14 times [against France] and they got in there three. Normally, you win the test doing that, but we were unable to convert that possession and territory into points. So, we have done some work on that."

It is the pack that bears the brunt of the total of five changes from the side who lost to France. Joe Marler, Charlie Ewels (who had already been cut from the squad earlier in the week) and Courtney Lawes are omitted from the starting XV. Marler is not even in the squad.

Jones will be hoping the changes to the pack provide more firepower to his side's ball-carrying, particularly with Mako Vunipola coming in for Marler and Lewis Ludlam for Lawes.

Meanwhile, George Kruis' cameo in Paris earns him a return ahead of Ewels in the second row, and his selection will bolster lineout options.

The backline lose one of their most trusted lieutenants under Jones — the 96-cap Ben Youngs. Kiwi Willi Heinz comes in for his first start in the Six Nations, and the first time for a full-bore international. Youngs has been off colour in his past two games and Heinz deserves his chance, even if at 33 he is not likely to be around by the time of the next World Cup in France.

It is the England bench, however, who could have the biggest impact on the contest. Ben Earl and Tom Dunn are likely to make their international debuts. Dunn was recalled when Luke Cowan-Dickie left the training camp after his wife went into labour.

Joe Launchbury, who has recovered from a knee injury, is also named among the replacements, with props Ellis Genge and Will Stuart both expected to make a late impact on the England scrum.

George Ford, who had experience of the impact South Africa's "Bomb Squad" had in the World Cup final, is expecting a significant contribution from the England bench.

"When you have got the bench that we have, whatever time they come on you are expecting a big impact," he said yesterday.

"If you are on the field and see these guys running on, it gives you a lift. You think: 'Here we go again, let's go up to another level.'

"We have got some brilliant, powerful, fresh legs coming on and we can impose that game plan even more at 50, 60 minutes.

"When you are on the back foot you have to be better at getting momentum in the game back, which we weren't good enough at doing in the first half last weekend [against France].

"The second half was a lot better and it has been a big focus."

Owen Farrell, meanwhile, is expecting a major response from his side, claiming there had been an extra edge in training this week following their defeat by France.

"We need to let go from the start — not wait and see against Scotland," the captain said.

"Being 17 points down [against France] is tough to get back from and we don't want to leave ourselves that challenge. We want to throw everything at it from the off.

"You do tend to have a bit more of a look at yourself after a loss. It allows you to be a bit more open. We have said where we want to improve and I would expect us to not just talk about it but do it, and I think we have stepped up a notch in training."