Grand Slam or not, no England players are safe from the chop, insists head coach Eddie Jones
Head coach Eddie Jones insists no member of his Grand Slam-winning side is guaranteed a seat on the plane when England travel Down Under for a three-Test tour against Australia in June.
England’s 31-21 victory over France in Paris on Saturday handed the Red Rose their first Six Nations clean sweep since 2003 although Jones’s thoughts have turned to the next challenge.
The Australian has sent each member of his squad back to their clubs with instructions on the areas they need to improve upon.
“[All] 15 of them [places up for grabs],” said Jones. “Everyone’s got to keep improving. Billy’s [Vunipola] got to keep improving, as good a player as he was in the Six Nations. If he comes back and he’s not in good physical condition, he’s not mentally good, he’s not going to be in the team.
“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? Players kept improving individually.”
Prior to their first showdown with southern hemisphere opposition under Jones, England face Wales at Twickenham in May.