England Grand Slam secured - next stop Australia, says Jones
Summer tour Down Under will prove how far the national side has progressed under new coach
England celebrated a Six Nations Grand Slam on Saturday night, their first since 2003, but new coach Eddie Jones is already targeting new challenges as he attempts to guide England to the summit of world rugby.
His side made it five wins out of five in his first tournament in charge as they beat France 31-21 in Paris. The win "completed a remarkable journey from World Cup pool flops to grand slam champions but Jones is already eyeing bigger and better things", says The Guardian.
Asked about his hopes for the summer tour to Australia, Jones said he was hoping England could win 3-0 and made it clear he would not allow his team to dwell on their recent success.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Look, it is fantastic to get a grand slam, fantastic to win the Six Nations, but we want to be the number one team in the world," he said. "To do that we have to go down to Australia, beat Australia and then we will have started getting on the road. In the next two to three years, we'll have a side to beat the All Blacks."
He is right to look ahead rather than backwards, says Owen Slot of The Times. "The [Six Nations] tournament has been a stinker. Yet the point on which everyone around the England team seems to agree is that this should be just the start... The weight of their history as serial underperformers fell from them on Saturday night. They can build, now, on a foundation of success rather than uncertainty.
"For those who still dispute the quality of this grand-slam achievement, the Australia tour will give real, definitive answers."
But spare a thought for former coach Stuart Lancaster, says Brian Moore in the Daily Telegraph. He "must have watched Saturday’s Grand Slam win in Paris with mixed emotions".
"Joy, that many of his former selections were vindicated, yet frustration and regret that he was not able to claim the prize just captured. In terms of quality his England side produced more fluency in last year’s championship and what might England have done in the World Cup with Billy Vunipola, Dylan Hartley and Manu Tuilagi all available?"
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Drugmakers paid pharmacy benefit managers to avoid restricting opioid prescriptions
Under the radar The middlemen and gatekeepers of insurance coverage have been pocketing money in exchange for working with Big Pharma
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures A cyclone's aftermath, a fearless leap, and more
By Anahi Valenzuela, The Week US Published
-
The Imaginary Institution of India: a 'compelling' exhibition
The Week Recommends 'Vibrant' show at the Barbican examines how political upheaval stimulated Indian art
By The Week UK Published
-
Eddie Jones named Australia head coach: will he come back to haunt England?
Speed Read There’s every chance England will face the Wallabies in the World Cup knockout stages
By The Week Staff Published
-
Six Nations: a new golden age for French rugby?
feature The hosts of next year’s Rugby World Cup will take some stopping
By The Week Staff Published
-
Mason Greenwood: footballer arrested on suspicion of rape and assault
Speed Read Man Utd confirm the striker will not train or play until further notice
By The Week Staff Published
-
2022 Six Nations ‘Super Saturday’: round five fixtures, title permutations, TV, standings
In Depth France are on course for the grand slam, but can Ireland pip them to the title?
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Rejuvenated England show spirit, unity and ‘never-say-die courage’
feature Eddie Jones’s new-look side complete autumn Test clean sweep by toppling South Africa
By The Week Staff Published
-
Handball: swapping bikini bottoms for tight pants
Speed Read Women competitors will be required to ‘wear short tight pants with a close fit’
By The Week Staff Published
-
Cristiano Ronaldo’s second coming
Speed Read Last week, Manchester United re-signed the forward on a two-year deal thought to be worth more than £400,000 a week
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Bank holidays and boycotts: are MPs trying to jinx England?
Speed Read Declaring a bank holiday would be ‘tempting fate’, says Boris Johnson
By The Week Staff Published