Eddie Jones and the Bench

Scotland

Unused - Hill, Devoto, Goode
3 Minutes - George
11 Minutes - Clifford
26 Minutes - Youngs
32 Minutes - Vunipola
34 Minutes - Lawes

Youngs, Mako ans Lawes all seemed to add some impetus from the bench, however much of that will be due to Vern Cotter's replacement being a clear step down from the men they replaced and tiredness creeping in to the Scots play.



Italy

11 Minutes - George, Hill, Goode
18 Minutes - Clifford
26 Minutes - Itoje
31 Minutes - Care
33 Minutes - Marler, Launchbury

Despite Youngs perversely getting MotM, Care certainly seemed to add some impetus. Having huffed and puffed for 50 minutes england pulled away in the last 30. Again how much was the bench and how much was the tiredness creeping in.



Ireland

Unused - Hill, Goode
4 Minutes - Lawes
10 Minutes - Clifford, George
15 Minutes - Daly
21 Minutes - Vunipola, Care

Jones made his first, and what seem to be pre-planned, replacements a little bit later in this game. Ireland were blown away by two tries either side of that change. That Mako and Care both contributed to the second would seem to show the benefit of fresh legs.
The rest of the changes were mainly rather inconsequential cameos as England held on.


Wales

2 Minutes - Launchbury
6 Minutes - Daly
9 Minutes - Cowan-Dickie, Brookes
13 Minutes - Clifford
27 Minutes - Tuilagi, Care
24 Minutes - Vunipola

The pattern of pre-planned changes with about 25 minutes to LH and SH continued. With england leading by 12 points Tuilagi is given an extended run out. Lead rises to 18 points before the YC for Cole, late flurry of subs and Wales fightback.



France

Unused: Brookes, Launchbury, Daly, Tuilagi
5 Minutes - Clifford
13 Minutes - Cowan-Dickie
37 Minutes - Youngs
40 Minutes - Marler

Again extended runs for the replacements at SH and LH. Though so much earlier than previousley, and so close (or at) half time that it felt like the starters were being hooked for their performances rather than what had become the habitual 25 minutes to go, fresh legs change. LCD came on due to Hartley's concussion and clifford barely had time to even draw breath.





Overall two things stand out for me:

1) Eddie Jones does make pre-planned substitutions. Maybe not as many as other coaches have but the repeated pattern at 1 and 9 show this is the case, while Manu's introduction was most certainly a pre-planned move.
2) Despite saying it is a 23 man game, Jones seemed in general to prefer not to use most of the options available to him. Dan Cole played 370 minutes, and perhaps only the YC saw him leave the field against Wales as neither Hill nor Brookes seemed trusted. Similar pattern at Hooker where only Hartley's concussion gave LCD more than a single brief cameo. Only in thew game against Italy did Jones seem to use the full bench in an attempt to truly control the game - otherwise it was in the main left to the starters.

Interesting.

I guess a big difference was that wth Lancaster we had players like Goode and Wigglesworth bringing the quality down and generally bringing with them a negative gameplan (kick and hope).

Now the subs are of a higher quality, and bring power and zap.

From an overall point of view I hate the 'pre planned' subs at certain times most coaches seem to have.

If a player is having a good game then leave him on regardless of how your initial thoughts went, likewise I wish coaches had the guts to haul a player off really early if he's not going well.

BW
On the later of your points, I think Jones got pretty close to that with subbing Make and Care against France.

I think the reasons for subbing the LH and SH is that we have two pretty equal options in those positions, although I think most of us are of the opinion that it is better to start Marler (more solid set piece) and Youngs (better kicker) and then bring Mako and Care on against a tired side.

Other positions, I suspect we'd have seen more of Jamie George than we did of LC-D. Interesting though that the last 3 matches saw the 2nd row subs get precisely 6 minutes, while Itoje and Kruis were having excellent matches. Not a case though of the sub being an inexperienced or unproven guy, but two British Lions and proven international campaigners

Similarly, Dan Cole was optionally off the field for only 11 minutes in the tournament (in a position where there was a direct replacement).

I can understand the use of Clifford (to ease him into the side) and while the reintroduction of Manu turned out to be an issue, I think most of us at least secretly hoped for him to get a run-out, and he was brought on against a Wales side who at thee time looked well under the pump.

Against Wales .....horrible sensation of deja vue.
WC...England looked comfortably ahead before Bomber planned subs broke up the rythm. Full credit to Wales for an awesome opportunist fightback and victory.

6N ...England has Wales in shell shock mode up to about 55 or 60 mins. Then the subs. Then the patterns broke down.

I really feared Eddie had committed a Bomber like error. 
But we got away with it just.

The Wales game meant that we ended up with both Haskell and Robshaw off the pitch, a man down and with a not fully fit Tuilagi trying to keep up with a new defensive system. The card was always going to be a challenge to deal with... But they did deal with it.