Boss Eddie Jones reckons England have been rugby’s soft-touch nation since winning the 2003 World Cup under Clive Woodward
EDDIE JONES says England have been rugby’s soft-touch since their 2003 World Cup glory.
Red Rose boss Jones believes Twickenham’s top brass failed to build on that success and could not wait to get rid of its architect Clive Woodward.
Now the no-nonsense Aussie is on a mission to bring back the hard men —starting against Wales today and on next month’s tour to Australia.
Jones said: “I saw England in Australia in 2004 and they came out for a holiday. We beat them 51-15 in Brisbane. You cannot accept that.
“As soon as it was accepted, it was the end of that team and era and England rugby has never recovered since then.
“Every time you play a Test match and wear the Rose, it is important that you give it everything you have got.
“If you are too tired to go on tour, then don't go.
“I say to guys, if you do not want to come on tour and work hard, stay at home.
Go to Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, Egypt, wherever you want and have a great time. Maybe not Egypt.”
Woodward’s 2004 tourists — shorn of ten World Cup-winners including captain Martin Johnson, Jonny Wilkinson, Will Greenwood and Jason Robinson — were also crushed 36-3 and 36-12 by New Zealand just seven months after becoming world champs.
They turned out to be Woodward’s final Tests.
Jones replaced Stuart Lancaster after last year’s World Cup disaster and started his reign by landing England’s first Grand Slam since 2003.
But he plans to step up the intensity during next month’s three Tests Down Under with a new generation of hard men in the shape of Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Ellis Genge, Kyle Sinckler and Teimana Harrison.
Northampton’s tearaway flanker Harrison makes his debut against the Welsh today and prop Genge is set to win his first cap off the bench.
Former hooker Jones, 56, said: “The Australian tour will be hard.
“It will be all hands to the deck and we will separate the men from the boys there.
"It is not about players having a nasty edge but being desperate to play for England.
“They are kids who desperately want to play for England and get better. They are the players we want.
"There is no doubt that players have had it too easy and been handed caps.
“If I look back at that England side between 1991 and ’96. Will Carling was obviously from a well-bred background, but he was a hard bugger and a hard captain.
“Brian Moore and Graham Dawe, who I both played against, and the likes of Andy Robinson, they were as hard as you’d find.
“Historically England has produced those players. And when they have a group of them, they have been successful.”
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Jones coached losing finalists Australia in 2003 against Woodward.
He added: “Clive did an enormous amount of good things for English rugby.
“But because he banged so many heads doing it, when the opportunity came to get rid of him they wanted to.
“All the good Clive did got thrown out and then you start from a bare base. It has never been rebuilt again. All we are trying to do is rebuild that base.