RELAX? DON’T DO IT

The English want to be comfortable.. but when you strive to be No.1 it is NOT comfortable

EDDIE JONES unveils his England squad tomorrow, with RFU chiefs insisting: “We want to win the Rugby World Cup and reach world No.1.”

Jones will await the fate of trio Dylan Hartley, Joe Marler and Nathan Hughes – cited after the weekend – before he finalises his 34-man selection.

The trio appear before a European Cup disciplinary panel in London today.

But Twickenham bosses cut straight to the chase yesterday in revealing their vision for global dominance over the next four years.

“We want to be England’s strongest sport and the world’s leading rugby nation,” said chief executive Steve Brown (right).

“You don’t have to be big to be strong. It’s about setting standards. You’re either ambitious or you’re not and we want to deliver the game of our lives.”

The Union’s strategic plan through to 2021 includes a pledge to “provide the necessary support and resources to let the England team reach the top of the world rugby rankings and win the 2019 Rugby World Cup”.

Such bullishness mirrors Jones’ own expectations.

Since his first day in charge he has had England reaching for the stars.

With 694 left until the World Cup starts, they are making good progress, but that is not enough for Jones.

“The main thing I have to do is get them to believe they have the potential to be the world’s No.1 team,” he said.

“It’s hard to be No.1 – it takes pain and extraordinary preparation. The tendency in England is wanting to be comfortable, but when you strive to be No.1, it is not comfortable. “There are a lot of good players here, but they can lack competitive desire. Our job is to make these players absolutely competitive every minute of the day.” England captain Hartley heads into the dock this morning with the support of the Red Rose hierarchy.

“The players do have a responsibility as role models,” acknowledged Brown.

“But my personal opinion is that Dylan has been a superb captain for England.”