Eddie’s axe tells seniors it’s time to sharpen up
EDDIE JONES has warned the senior stars axed from his England squad they must rediscover their best form to stand a chance of making the 2023 World Cup in France.
The Vunipola brothers, Jamie George and George Ford are big-name absentees from a 45-man training group that will meet on Sunday for a brief camp ahead of autumn Tests against Tonga, Australia and South Africa.
‘For those players the door’s not closed, it’s just an opportunity for them to refresh and refocus,’ insisted head coach Jones. ‘They need to get back to their best.
‘They probably haven’t been at their best over the last period of time, so we’re giving them the opportunity to find their best.
‘They’re all good players. When they are at their best, they are going to be in strong contention. But there’s a lot of good young players coming through so the competition is hot.
‘We are now selecting with the World Cup in mind. Almost after the Lions tour you draw bit of a line in the sand because then you’re in the last two years before the World Cup and everything you do counts.’ The absence of fly-half Ford, who has lost out to Harlequins’ Marcus Smith, is perhaps the biggest shock given the 28-year-old’s influence in Leicester’s weekend victory over Exeter.
Billy Vunipola has been the cornerstone of England’s back row since Jones took over in 2016 but is no longer the force that once scattered opposition defences.
His older brother Mako and Jamie George did not make an impact on the British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa in the summer, the latter having also lost his place as first-choice hooker to Luke Cowan-Dickie in this year’s Six Nations.
Elliot Daly is also missing but that is due to an operation on a fractured shin.