Rugby Union: Eddie Jones defends New Zealand-born trio’s presence at England camp

Eddie Jones has defended his decision to select three New Zealand-born players for an England training camp in Brighton and insisted he will pick anyone available to him, despite World Rugby’s clampdown on players switching allegiances on residency grounds last week.

Having already selected the Sale wing Denny Solomona in his squad for the tour to Argentina, Jones cast an eye over the full-back Jason Woodward at last week’s training camp and raised a few eyebrows when announcing the 30-year-old Gloucester scrum-half Willi Heinz for the three-day get together on the south coast.

“I don’t control who qualifies and who doesn’t. It’s not my job. You’re talking to the wrong person. My job is to pick players who qualify to play for England,” said Jones, who has also picked the Worcester and former South Africa Under-20s prop Nick Schonert for the Brighton training camp. “If you have a problem with how they qualify, speak to the people who make those rules because I don’t.

“I don’t care how they qualify, I’ll pick them. That’s the rules we play under. I obey them like a good schoolteacher does. [Heinz] has got a good feel for the game, but you’ve got to remember we’re bringing him in for this training camp only. And I wouldn’t be making a big song and dance about it.”

Heinz and Woodward have entirely legitimate claims – they both have English grandparents – and, while they may face the Barbarians on 29 May in an uncapped fixture, neither is in the touring party for Argentina. Jones played down their inclusion in the camp, claiming he was working with players “seventh or eighth choice in their position” with those from the four Premiership semi-finalists Wasps, Exeter, Saracens and Leicester – as well as Northampton, who have a Champions Cup play-off on Saturday, and 15 British & Irish Lions – all unavailable.

The timing of their selection is not aided however by the fact that last week the World Rugby council voted to extend the residency rule from three to five years from 2020 – Solomona being the most recent player to qualify for England within the 36-month time frame. It is also hardly a glowing endorsement of the English age-grade system, despite the under-20 side claiming the Six Nations grand slam this year.

However, asked if he was overlooking young English players, Jones added: “Tell me. Who is there? I look at everything. You don’t think I’ve done my homework? You’re suggesting I haven’t done my homework. I’m picking the best players available to play for England.

“Every player who is qualified to play for England has an opportunity to play for England. I select them and if they don’t want to play they say no. Everyone has a choice. They either want to play for England or they don’t and they show that by the way they train and the way they behave. That’s the greatest indication of whether they want to play for England.”

If Northampton beat Connacht on Saturday they will have a play-off final for the last place in the Champions Cup the same weekend of the Barbarians match, meaning Jones would not have his captain, Dylan Hartley, available. The vice-captains Billy Vunipola and Owen Farrell are also unavailable though his third, Mike Brown, is. Senior players overlooked for the Lions squad such as Chris Robshaw, James Haskell, Joe Launchbury and George Ford would also come into contention.

“I want to see how the guys come into camp,” Jones said. “We are dealing with some blokes who are disappointed about the Lions. So we will see how they come into camp and how they perform will give me an indication of who I push forward as a leader.”

England will begin the defence of their Six Nations title away to Italy next year and conclude the 2018 campaign at home to Ireland on St Patrick’s Day. The organisers yesterday announced the fixtures for 2018 and 2019 with both championships featuring two rest weeks, as was the case this year. Wales, who will have Warren Gatland back at the helm, host the first match of next year’s championship at home to Scotland.