'I’m not sure about him yet' - Eddie Jones not sold on rising England star

Eddie Jones says he remains unconvinced by some of England’s emerging stars despite Steve Borthwick’s side continuing their unbeaten run with a 38–18 win over Fiji at Twickenham.

Speaking on the Rugby Unity podcast, the former England head coach praised the team for rediscovering “their DNA” but said certain players still have plenty to prove at Test level.

“England–Fiji was a typical England–Fiji game,” said Jones. “England played the power game early, kicked a lot, got a fast start. Fiji scored a couple and you thought it might be a repeat of two years ago, but England have good power and good depth. They brought a strong bench on and finished it well.”

Jones said Borthwick has taken England back to their roots.

“England have gone back to their DNA — strong kicking game, strong defence — and they’ve simplified their attack and play a lot straighter,” he said. “They’ve got some good athletes — the boy from Exeter [Immanuel Feyi-Waboso] has great feet and is hard to handle — and [Henry] Arundell came back and scored the kind of try only he can score because he’s exceptionally quick and powerful. If he stays in the squad he adds to their depth, and depth is the key.”

Despite the progress, Jones said he is “not sure yet” about Chandler Cunningham-South, the Harlequins back-rower who has broken into England’s matchday squad this autumn.

“I’m not sure about him yet,” said Jones. “He’s a good front-foot player — if the ball is going forward he’s charging onto it. But the test is when games get tougher and tighter. If he develops that part of his game he’ll be a good player.”

Jones also used the podcast to reflect on England’s playmakers, saying Marcus Smith still has another level to reach in terms of taking on defences.

“Marcus Smith is an example of a player who hasn’t developed that part of his game as much as he could — just really taking the line on,” said Jones, who selected Smith for his first full England cap against the USA back in 2021.

The 64-year-old contrasted Smith’s current approach with that of George Ford, another fly-half he coached during his seven years in charge of England.

“When George Ford was younger he was one of the best 10s I’d seen,” said Jones. “He took the line on, he knew when to play deeper and he had a great kicking game. When I said he’s not that creative now, I meant he doesn’t take the line on enough. He tends to play deeper. He still controls the game really well, but I’d like to see him flatter at times.”

“England have got power, structure and depth,” he said. “Now it’s about finding that balance between control and creativity. That’s what will take them from being solid to being great.”