Jones delighted as England get ‘ideal’ World Cup schedule

EDDIE JONES is confident England can gain the upper hand in the ‘ arms race’ that will take place before the next World Cup, after conceding that his side have no excuses for failure in Japan.

England will benefit from a helpful fixture list following yesterday’s announcement of the schedule for the pool stage of the 2019 tournament. England open their campaign against Tonga and face the USA just four days later, but then have ample build-up time leading into their key clashes against Argentina and France.

As well as a favourable itinerary, England will have the inside knowledge that comes from Jones’ experience of having coached Japan. ‘I think it gives us a head start, but that’s it,’ he said. ‘ Every team is clamouring to play over there.

‘Australia have two Tests there, New Zealand are playing at least one and have been doing coaching clinics there. Every team is finding a way to get knowledge of Japan. Scotland have already decided on their training base. Wales have already decided on their training base. Teams are well advanced in their thought processes. It’s a bit like an arms race. Everyone is racing to get knowledge to maximise their opportunities there.’

Jones (below) will travel to Japan for a recce early next month and is ready to ask for dispensation from tournament organisers to amend the usual format by adopting one base and commuting in and out of the venue cities. ‘That’s what we’re going to negotiate,’ he said. ‘ We just need to get approval from the organising committee. Japan is going to be fairly unique, so I think they have to be quite flexible in the way you set up as a team.’

England will try to replicate a four-day turn-around between matches during the next Six Nations. However, Jones claimed it presents a brilliant challenge and knows his team have been dealt a good hand. ‘If you were doing the ideal- world scenario, that’s how you would want it,’ he said. ‘ So we have no excuses.’

Injured Leicester wing Jonny May has not yet been officially ruled out of England’s autumn opener against Argentina a week tomorrow. However, the coaches could call up a reinforcement and will consider Marland Yarde despite his acrimonious departure from Harlequins this week.

Jones said: ‘ He’s in contention, but we have to assess whether emotionally he’ll be right to compete for an England spot. We didn’t not select him because of behaviour. He came to Argentina and was absolutely first-class. He came to the Oxford camp and was firstclass. It’s an issue with his club.’

Yet Jones also emphasised that if Yarde had repeatedly missed training sessions with England, as he did with Harlequins, he would have been ejected from the squad — and he backed Chris Robshaw, who claimed that his former club-mate had ‘run out of lives’. ‘Robbo was honest and I love players being honest,’ said Jones. ‘But what Robbo said about Marland won’t have any effect on his selection for England. Marland is in contention.’