Eddie Jones has made his peace with the Premiership clubs after his England training camp in Brighton at the start of this month left some of their players in pieces before the opening rounds of the European Champions Cup.
A number of club directors of rugby expressed their surprise, and dismay, at the physical nature of the training sessions, which included bouts of judo. They had a clear-the-air meeting with England’s head coach, who has two more camps this season, in Portugal this coming week and one in January ready for the Six Nations.
“We had two unfortunate injuries at the camp,” says Jones. “That is part of rugby. I had a good meeting with the directors of rugby and out of it came a couple of things that need to happen. We have to communicate better with the clubs and we need to have a more rigorous medical programme in and out of both the international side and the clubs.
“We are both committed to that which will help player welfare. Each of our camps is different. In Brighton we needed to train with intensity to get ready for the November internationals but, when we met in August, the players did not get on to the field. We will assess what we need to do in January when we get there and talk to the clubs.
“There are always going to be ups and downs with the clubs and the national team but there is generally a commitment from everyone to want to make the players better. There are 12 clubs here: when I was coach of Australia I had only three to worry about, so the breadth is different. I think we have a good relationship and we are lucky to have such good clubs.”
Jones has been impressed by the manner in which Saracens became the first club to defeat Toulon at home in the Champions Cup. When he started with England at the end of last year he talked of the need for world-class players to emerge and the Saracens prop Mako Vunipola has emerged as a contender.
“Everyone is raving about the All Blacks at the moment but what they do is the fundamentals very well, as Saracens did in Toulon,” Jones says. “Mako is galloping towards the world-class bracket and the November series is a chance for him to develop his game.
“We are lucky to have him and Joe Marler at loose-head: before Joe’s – how shall I put it? – indiscretions he was ahead of Mako, who is fitter now.
“His work-rate is better and he is backing his skills more. He is a tight forward who can carry the ball to the line and pass: there are probably only six or seven backs in England who can do that and he is 125kg. When you have a prop doing that it brings a difference to your game.”
Jones will be without 10 players for the Tests against South Africa, Fiji, Argentina and Australia, including three regulars in the back five of the pack: George Kruis, Maro Itoje and James Haskell. Three others are flying to Portugal with injuries. “It will be a bit of a captaincy test for Dylan [Hartley], who will not have a number of his lieutenants around,” Jones says. “He is going to have to regenerate the team in the way they operate and I am confident he will do that very well.
“I always thought England were a talented team but talent doesn’t win games of rugby. You have got to supplement it with cohesion, grit and spirit, things that are easier to add than talent. Are we where we are meant to be? No, because we want to be No1 in the world. Are we going in the right direction? Yes.”
