Jones: We are a family, we will have problems

years, I’ve never been confident in a team being smooth. ‘We’re like any family — everyone sits around the dining table, everyone enjoys good conversation but you know there are problems and we’re exactly the same. ‘We’ve got 31 sitting around the table, we can have nice conversations, but you know potentially there’s a problem. ‘All I can do is trust the players. They are adults, they’re responsible, they want to play for England, but we could have some problems. If we do, we’ll deal with them. Every team has problems.’ Many national teams have an emphasis on senior players taking charge of many internal disciplinary matters and Jones claimed it would be no different within the England squad — although the management may intervene if they consider it is necessary. ‘It’s always a fluid situation,’ he said. ‘When us older guys played, the senior players ran the team. ‘Nothing’s ever changed — the senior players run the team, but sometimes the coach has got to come in and tell them to pull their socks up, or pick up the bottles. ‘It seems like there’s this new phenomenon called a leadership group. ‘Ever since I’ve been involved with rugby, there have always been guys leading the team. ‘That’s the nature of rugby and nothing’s changed.’ England captain Owen Farrell, whose appointment was a ‘straightforward decision’ according to Jones, will be expected to set the tone for standards of behaviour within the England squad and he added: ‘We want to police ourselves as much as we can. Being part of that means making sure that we’re being good lads and I think we have a good group.’