Eddie Jones has put a figure on how many 2021 Lions he wants England to supply
Eddie Jones has urged his England stars to continue playing their way into British and Irish Lions contention when they face France in Sunday’s Autumn Nations Cup final.
Jones hopes to supply a 20-strong contingent to next summer’s tour to South Africa in the knowledge that such substantial representation would be a result of English success on the pitch.
Victory in the 2020 Six Nations and the possibility of another trophy being lifted at Twickenham come the climax of the autumn has placed a host of England stars in pole position to win a place in Warren Gatland’s squad.
Next year’s Championship will provide the most influential stage to press claims and Jones is thinking selfishly when recalling the impact made by flankers Sam Underhill and Tom Curry in Argentina in 2017 when his leading players were performing for Gatland.
“We see this Lions tour as an opportunity for us to grow another layer of depth,” said Jones, who will lead England on a two-Test tour to Canada and the United States in July.
“It’s an opportunity for some younger guys to gain experience with England and to see whether they can adapt to international rugby. That’s the exciting thing for us.
“When I say I would like us to have 20 players on the Lions tour, in some ways it is almost selfish because we would like the opportunity to bring younger guys in to create greater depth in the squad.
“We want to make sure we are the dominant team in Europe and if you are the dominant team in Europe then you dominate Lions selection. That would be a great individual recognition of the players’ efforts.
“But we have got this game on Sunday and then the Six Nations, so there are still plenty of balls to face before you get to that selection headache.”
Jones’ willingness to assist the Lions’ quest against the world champions over three Tests in July and August extends to allowing his coaching lieutenants to join Gatland’s management team.
Defence coach John Mitchell and forwards coach Matt Proudfoot have enjoyed stellar years and could be recruited for the South Africa tour.
“There has been contact. Warren has gone round the unions and chatted to the CEOs about potential staff,” Jones said.
“We are open to any opportunity for our staff and coaches to grow. We will wait and see.
“We saw the benefits of it with Steve Borthwick going on the Lions tour in 2017 and coming back having added more to his coaching repertoire. We would certainly be open to those ideas.”
At the front of the queue of England players making a compelling case for Lions selection is Maro Itoje, a leading candidate for the captaincy who will spearhead the challenge against a shadow France side at Twickenham on Sunday.
Itoje has an array of medals gathered from Saracens and England duty and he knows the value of building a dynasty of success, with the Autumn Nations Cup the latest shot at glory.
“Winning trophies creates a special memory, whether that’s in Premiership A-team competition, LV Cup, Premiership or the Champions Cup,” Itoje said.
“But especially international rugby… it creates memories and bonds that you will remember forever and we have the opportunity to do something special because this is the first autumn cup and who knows if there will be another one.
“That memory would bind us and we would be able to look back in however many years’ time and realise we had done something special.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to comments