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England head coach Eddie Jones has warned his grand slam-winning players that none of them are assured of their places when England tour Australia in June.
Thirty-six hours after the Six Nations champions completed their first clean sweep since 2003 Jones put his players on notice.
“All 15 places in the team are up for grabs. Everyone’s got to keep improving,” he said.
Each player has been given an individually tailored plan outlining the fitness areas and skills they must work on as Jones pursues his quest of transforming England into the best team in the world.
“If you look at the benchmark of world rugby, the All Blacks, why did they consistently improve over eight years to win the World Cup twice? Because their players kept improving individually.
“And that’s the challenge for these players. To win a grand slam is just a start. To keep improving is the challenge.
“We want the players to go back to their clubs and play like international players and be outstanding for their clubs.
“That’ll make them better when they come into consideration for the Australia tour.”
Jones is setting about changing how the clubs balance their needs with the needs of the national team, something that has proved difficult for his coaching predecessors.
“There are high-quality clubs who are well-resourced with good coaching staff, good strength and conditioning coaches and good facilities.
“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.
“That can only be healthy for the game. World rugby is definitely healthier for a strong England side.”
Saturday 11 June at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane.
Saturday 18 June at AAMI Park, Melbourne.
Saturday 25 June at Allianz Stadium, Sydney.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.