Dan Cole of England gets lifted up in a scrum during the Rugby World Cup 2019 final.

England should have bent the rules to force Golden Oldies scrums in the World Cup final, said former Ireland star Ronan O'Gara.

The current head coach at French club La Rochelle and a former assistant coach with Super Rugby title-winners the Crusaders, O'Gara said English coach Eddie Jones missed a trick that could have prevented his side's loss to South Africa in Japan last weekend.

England tighthead prop Kyle Sinckler had to leave the field in the third minute of the final - won by the Springboks 32-12 - after suffering concussion and was replaced by Dan Cole. The Leicester veteran struggled badly as South Africa won a host of scrum penalties, allowing them to dictate proceedings.

O'Gara told Virgin Media Ireland that England's head coach should have found a way to ensure the scrums became uncontested.

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"Eddie Jones, if you're in his head, is plotting worst-case scenario probably, Dan Cole comes in and he's in for 77 minutes. You don't have extra legs for him or expertise at tighthead.

GETTY IMAGES Eddie Jones, the England head coach, looks dejected after his sides Rugby World Cup defeat by South Africa.

"What are you to do?"

"The coach in me was saying, essentially, do you bend the rules and become cynical and make them uncontestable scrums? The game was decided by penalties up front," O'Gara said.

"You have to find a way to win no matter what it takes. If you get in trouble, you've got a World Cup winners' medal."