“If you look at European rugby over the last period of time, then Warren is by far the most accomplished coach”. There will be no excuses. “Everyone’s got to keep improving”, Jones said. Let’s all charge off to Australia and show the Wallabies how good we are.
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England have had precious few victories in Australia over the years, although they did famously beat Jones’s Wallabies to win the World Cup in Sydney in 2003. “If he keeps improving as a player, he’ll remain as captain for the tour”.
“If we can work with them to make sure the players are doing the things they need to do, to be at their best for the club and the best for their country then we have a good solution, and then it comes down to whether we have enough talent and desire to do it”.
“The players have gone back to their clubs and if I was one of them I’d be so excited about the prospect of playing some crucial games for their clubs with the chance of proving they deserve to be on the plane to Australia for a fantastic Test tour, but no one is guaranteed a place in the squad”, he added.
He will spend the next three weeks meeting the various directors of rugby in the Aviva Premiership hoping to get their approval for the players’ individual tasks and he will be keeping a close eye on the league as he looks to nail down the squad of 32 or 33 players he will take to Australia.
England beat France 31-21 in Paris to secure the title in the ultimate style – completing a grand slam of victories against their five opponents over the course of the tournament.
“Billy Vunipola has got to keep improving, as good a player as he was in the Six Nations”.
He is relishing the months ahead and says that friends back home are taking a keen interest in England’s progress.
“Hopefully everyone sees that England are going in the right direction and that can only be healthy for the game”. “For me to make England the strongest team in the world, I’ve got four years and I’ve got to spend every minute that I can on that”.
Hartley, the controversial captaincy appointment made by new coach Eddie Jones, was on the sidelines after the match and there to receive the trophy.
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Nigel Owens vigilantly stopped play straight away, which allowed the England skipper to be carted off the field but Hartley rejoined his team at the final whistle for the trophy presentation.
