Jones explains why he didn't call-up Cipriani

Eddie Jones says he didn’t feel the need to call-up out-of-favour Gloucester flyhalf Danny Cipriani as he simply wasn’t needed.

Owen Farrell underwent a ‘minor’ operation on his thumb. According to Mark McCall speaking last week, the pivot’s recovery time is 7 to 10 days, putting into doubt his participation in his team’s opening match against Ireland in Dublin.

The England star is set to captain his country in this year’s competition in the absence of Dylan Hartley.

“We are well stocked at number 10,” Jones told reporters at the Six Nations launch in London today. Jones said he was confident that Farrell would be good to go and that a replacement just wasn’t needed.

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“I’m confident Owen is going to play. We have got George Ford so we are well-stocked at number 10.”

Farrell who was sitting beside him, also said he was confident that he will return in time for the Ireland match on February 2nd.

“It is good. I should be training towards the end of this week and I am confident I will be able to play against Ireland.”

Jones claims that he isn’t looking ahead to the Rugby World Cup.

“Ireland is our number one priority,” said Jones, when asked about the World Cup at the end of the year.

“In November we were down to our sixth choice loosehead prop,” said Jones. “If we were to train, we would have 34 out of 36 available so a couple of them will be missing.”

“The only thing we can do is prepare well, be 100 percent committed, and we will take it from there,” said former Australia and Japan coach Jones.

“Whether it is the biggest game of the tournament or not, it doesn’t really matter. Our job is to prepare well.”

The squad will travel t0 Portugal today to begin their preparations. A squad of 25 players will depart for Dublin on Thursday 31 January.