England spring surprise as Farrell starts at 10 v Australia
SHOWS:
BEPPU, JAPAN (OCTOBER 17, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
1. ENGLAND RUGBY TEAM COACH, EDDIE JONES AND PLAYER OWEN FARELL GETTING READY FOR NEWS CONFERENCE
2. (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) ENGLAND RUGBY TEAM COACH, EDDIE JONES, SAYING:
"I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their family members during the typhoon. The Japan vs Scotland game was fantastic. Japanese people have a very strong fighting spirit. We sincerely hope for the earliest possible recovery."
3. ENGLAND RUGBY EMBLEM ON JACKET/ JONES SPEAKING
4. FARELL LISTENING
5. NEWS CONFERENCE ONGOING
6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND RUGBY TEAM COACH, EDDIE JONES, SAYING:
"Well, George (Ford) is in the 23. We have a starting and a finishing team so he's going to finish for us instead of starting."
7. NEWS CONFERENCE TAKING PLACE
8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND RUGBY TEAM COACH, EDDIE JONES, SAYING:
"Well, I spoke to him (George Ford) this morning and obviously he's disappointed but he knows his role in the team. He's got an important role in the team and that's how we've spoken all along, we've got a squad of 23, we look at it as a squad of 23, everyone has a role to do. We've left a lot of good players, eight players, out of the squad of 31 and they're all disappointed but he's got a significant role with us to play."
8. NEWS CONFERENCE TAKING PLACE
9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND RUGBY TEAM COACH, EDDIE JONES, SAYING:
"Kerevi is a damaging ball carrier and whoever they pick at 13, if they pick the other big Fijian boy then they've got two big ball carriers, but we believe we've got the defensive capabilities to handle them and cause them a few problems."
10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND RUGBY TEAM PLAYER, OWEN FARELL, SAYING
"Well the team has been named today, but, I mean, I've played fly-half plenty of times before, I'm fine with playing fly-half, it's more about how I can fit into the team and hopefully get us in the place that we can perform well at the weekend."
11. NEWS CONFERENCE ENDING
STORY: England coach Eddie Jones sprung a big surprise on Thursday (October 17) by naming Owen Farrell to start at flyhalf in the World Cup quarter-final against Australia, benching George Ford and bringing in Henry Slade to join Manu Tuilagi in midfield.
Jones starting his news conference in Beppu by reading out a message in Japanese in support for the relatives of the victims of typhoon Hagibis which killed at least 77 people in Japan.
Jones has long bounced Farrell between flyhalf and centre but appeared to have settled on playing him at 12 at the World Cup in Japan, where Ford has been one of England's most impressive players operating at flyhalf.
However, by dropping Ford to the bench and giving Slade his first start of the tournament Jones appears to be seeking to combat Australia's midfield power, particularly the threat of the dynamic Samu Kerevi.
England have won their last six matches against Australia since losing to them in the pool stage of the 2015 World Cup, a defeat that knocked the hosts out.
The winners will play New Zealand or Ireland in the semi-finals.
(Production: Lucien Libert)
