The sky's the limit for Eddie Jones after choosing to keep roof open to maximise England's chances of beating Wales

Eddie Jones will not have endured many more frustrating days during his brief England tenure than he did on Thursday ahead of the Six Nations trip to Wales, and all because of a roof. The Australian has a deep relationship with the Principality Stadium, given it was a defeat there in 2005 that cost him his dream job as the Wallabies head coach, and it was made immediately clear that he did not anticipate spending too much time talking about the Cardiff ground.

But while Jones was busy talking down the importance of whether the roof is shut or not this Saturday afternoon – “If that’s the main story we’re struggling, are we struggling that much?” – the Welsh were busy laying down the gauntlet. Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones warned England that there will be “no escape” if Jones chooses to throw down the gauntlet and let the home side close the roof on the Principality Stadium, ramping up the atmosphere inside in the process.

But once he realised that the questions about the biggest structure in Cardiff would not go away, Jones revealed that he would much rather retain his unbeaten streak as head coach than win a battle of gamesmanship.

“I want to test them but I want to win,” Jones said. “So at the end of the day the decision will be made on what I think is the best thing for the team to win.”

What Jones said proved true, as after addressing the media he proceeded to make the decision to keep the roof open and ensure as much of the Welsh support can dissipate into the Cardiff night air. But he also challenged his side to prove their credentials and triumph on the road. Having played Wales three times in the space of 17 months at Twickenham, he now wants his side to add a first win in Cardiff to its growing collection of cities conquered. Paris, Edinburgh, Rome, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney are all on Jones’ list of dispatched locations, but there’s no doubting that Cardiff poses the biggest challenge yet.

“I think it depends on how good a side you are. And the good teams win at home and win away,” Jones said. “That’s the reality. New Zealand win at home and they win away. If you’re not such a good team you tend to win at home because you feel comfortable, the crowd’s good for you. We want to be a good team. We want to win at home and away.”

In order to become a good team, England will have to keep cool heads, no matter what is thrown at them. On the pitch, Rob Howley’s side is beginning to take tentative steps away from ‘Warrenball’, the hit-em-up approach built around Jamie Roberts and deployed by Warren Gatland. But off the pitch, anything can happen, and Jones has taken steps to ensure that nothing comes between his squad and keeping their eye on the ball this weekend.

The England camp have spoken internally this week about what to expect on the way to the stadium, inside the ground and in the final few minutes before kick-off. Jones reeled off a list this week about the deviant tactics used across the River Severn in the past to mess around with the opponents’ preparation – ranging from choirs interrupting warm-ups to goats walking on the field – and although there will be no repeat of the 2015 tunnel stand-off due to the change in rules that sees sides walk out together, Jones isn’t expecting a smooth ride.

“We’ve encouraged the interaction between the players on what you have to do to cope. Wales to me are a bit like South Africa. They’re countries where rugby is the main sport and the support is absolutely fever pitch. The results affect the country, in South Africa’s case, and in Wales’s case, the principality. Rugby means such a lot. You go to those players and you feel that need to win, that urgency to want to win and to dismantle the opposition,” Jones explained.

“You go to the hotel and unless you do things, players get rung incessantly through the night. Those things happen. You go to the ground and the traffic controller drives slower than the traffic’s going to make sure you’re late. You get to the ground and there’s something wrong with your dressing room – there’s lights off or the heater’s switched off. Those things happen regularly in those sorts of countries. So the challenge for a team to play away is to be better than that. They’re things you can’t control. Once we go down the M4 and cross the Severn River, we don’t control anything. The only thing we control is our own mental state and the way we play the game. That’s how good sides are and the way we want to be. This week’s been a great learning experience for the team in understanding that. Whatever we do on Saturday, we’ll be better for it.

“The Welsh are very cunning mate. I’ve been around rugby long enough to know how cunning they are. Let’s take that with a grain of salt.”

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The last two encounters between these two rugby giants on Welsh turf have produced very differing results. England shrunk in 2013, despite having the Grand Slam within touching distance, and as they wilted from the opening minutes, the home crowd grew in noise and spirit as Wales went on to win the championship. Two years later, England stood tall, resisted in the face of the pre-game antics to leave them out in the Cardiff cauldron and fought back from 16-8 behind to clinch a 21-16 victory.

This challenge though is arguably greater. England still haven’t tasted anything other than victory under Jones in 14 matches, they remain Six Nations favourites and are without four of their Grand Slam linchpins. Triumph on Saturday, and there may not be any stopping England again.