Ed delighted by skipper’s Hart
EDDIE JONES has given Dylan Hartley’s England captaincy its strongest endorsement yet to edge him closer to retaining the role for the 2019 World Cup.
Hartley, the only player to have started all 22 Tests under Jones, was at the helm for a fifth successive victory over Australia on Saturday after a trio of late tries at Twickenham saw the Wallabies collapse to a record 30-6 defeat.
Jones stated in May that Hartley could be his World Cup skipper if he continued his upward trajectory having initially viewed him as a “foundation” captain as part of a two-year plan.
“Dylan was outstanding. His captaincy was first-class. He’s moving from being a good captain to being a better captain,” Jones said.
“He manages the referee well, manages the team well.
“Your ability to communicate effectively with the referee is so important and he does that brilliantly.
“He’s been around a bit. He’s seen the bottom of the trough and he’s now surfing at the top.
“He appreciates the opportunity of what he’s doing at the moment and he’s only going to grow as captain.”
Owen Farrell is seen as Hartley’s successor in the role, but Jones suggests the Saracens playmaker remains an apprentice in leadership terms. Jones said: “He’s a youngster in terms of captaincy but the more experience he gets the better he’ll be.
England led only 13-6 before Danny Care came on in the final 10 minutes to create tries for Jonathan Joseph and Jonny May before crossing himself in injury time.