Eddie brings in familiar face
NOVEMBER TEST SPOTLIGHT: England coach Eddie Jones has brought in former captain Will Carling as a leadership mentor in a bid to increase players’ pride in their country.
Carling, 52, skippered England 59 times between 1988 and 1996, winning three Grand Slams, four Five Nations championships and reaching the 1991 Rugby World Cup final.
And Jones has revealed he has long been in communication with Carling, a “specialist in leadership”, as he hopes to improve his squad ahead of next year’s World Cup.
“I have met Will continuously over the last two years and I think he can add value to the senior players in the squad with his experience,” Jones said.
“He joins the great past of England to the present. He’s a bit of a specialist in leadership. He understands English rugby. He understands what made English rugby great.
“I’m not English – I can’t preach to the players about having pride in England. I don’t attempt to. I’ve long thought we have possibly had a gap in that area.
“Combining Will’s skill of leadership with the knowledge of English history is a nice resource for us to have,”
Countdown to #ENGvRSA ⚡#CarryThemHome 🌹 pic.twitter.com/8QWnaiWcc6
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) October 30, 2018
Jones does not believe this is a new concept either, referring to similar roles with several other international rivals, including New Zealand.
“I have seen it work well for the All Blacks, for Australia, Japan too,” he said. “They all have someone from the past that keeps that connection in place.
“I think that’s important and that is what Will will bring. This is not a coaching job. In a lot of ways, it has got to do specifically with English rugby.
“I want the past to be linked to the present and also then to give the players some additional help with leadership,”
Jones will hope Carling’s involvement doesn’t link to the past too much, with the All Blacks winning 32 of the 40 clashes between the two sides.
🎯 @dannycare and @benyoungs09 putting in a shift in training today 👊#WearTheRose 🌹 pic.twitter.com/31Vk8ZWKZt
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) October 29, 2018
Meanwhile, Courtney Lawes will rejoin the squad in Portugal on Monday having returned to England for treatment on a back injury.
However, head coach Eddie Jones says the Northampton Saints forward is a doubt for Saturday’s Internationals opener.
Lawes returned for specialist treatment on a pre-existing back injury at the weekend, but following his return to camp on Monday it is hoped he will return to light training on Tuesday.
Jones will name his side on Thursday to face South Africa at Twickenham Stadium this Saturday.
