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England RU team on notice for Aust trip

England may have won the Six Nations rugby grand slam, but their Australian coach Eddie Jones says none are guaranteed a place on the tour Down Under.

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Source: AAP


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England rugby coach Eddie Jones has warned his grand slam-winning players that none of them are assured of their places when England tour Australia in June.

Thirty-six hours after the Six Nations champions completed their first clean sweep since 2003 Jones put his players on notice.

"All 15 places in the team are up for grabs. Everyone's got to keep improving," he said.

Each player has been given an individually tailored plan outlining the fitness areas and skills they must work on as Jones pursues his quest of transforming England into the best team in the world.

"If you look at the benchmark of world rugby, the All Blacks, why did they consistently improve over eight years to win the World Cup twice? Because their players kept improving individually.

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"And that's the challenge for these players. To win a grand slam is just a start. To keep improving is the challenge.

"We want the players to go back to their clubs and play like international players and be outstanding for their clubs.

"That'll make them better when they come into consideration for the Australia tour."

Jones is setting about changing how the clubs balance their needs with the needs of the national team, something that has proved difficult for his coaching predecessors.

"There are high-quality clubs who are well-resourced with good coaching staff, good strength and conditioning coaches and good facilities.

"If we can work with them to make sure the players are doing the things they need to do to be at their best for the club and the best for their country then we have a good solution.

"That can only be healthy for the game. World rugby is definitely healthier for a strong England side."


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