Eddie Jones: Improving England will take Australia on

Eddie Jones has warned the rugby world that his England players will not waste any time resting on their laurels after landing a first Six Nations Grand Slam since 2003.

The coach is already looking forward to touring his native Australia in June, having tasted success in Europe’s premier competition just six months after replacing Stuart Lancaster.

Last weekend’s win away to France gave England five wins out of five, and lifted the gloom surrounding the team after an embarrassing group-stage exit as host of the 2015 World Cup.

“There’s a saying in Australia that the dogs are barking but the caravan moves on,” Jones told the England Rugby podcast.

“You’ve just got to keep moving forward. There are things you need to look back to learn from but definitely keep looking forward and see how we can improve.

“Our target is to go to Australia and win the series. We’ll need to be tactically different but if we keep improving we’ll be in a good position to really take Australia on.

“They want to see a good rugby series and a resurgent England will give them that. Australia is a country where sport is so heavily part of the culture … they want their national team playing against strong teams, and that’s what they’re going to get with this England side.”

The former Wallabies and Japan coach has transformed England’s fortunes with roughly the same squad Lancaster built in his trophyless four years in charge.

“I was very proud of the players, they’ve worked very hard for the last eight or nine weeks and grown as a team and enjoyed playing with each other and playing for England, which is important,” Jones said.

“It needs to be a player-driven team rather than a coach-driven team and the players have accepted that responsibility and got on with it.”

England’s celebrations of a first Six Nations title since 2011 have been tempered by the controversy over Joe Marler’s “Gypsy boy” comment to Wales rival Samson Lee.

Marler apologized during the halftime break of England’s crucial 25-20 win at Twickenham on March 12, but Welsh officials were upset that the Six Nations organizers took no further action against the prop forward.

Lee grew up in a traveler community, and has spoken of his pride in his heritage.

World Rugby has launched an investigation into the affair, saying Marler’s comments “amount to misconduct and/or a breach of the code of conduct.”

“The case will be heard by an independent judicial committee as soon as practically possible. The player is free to continue playing in the interim.”

England RFU chief executive Ian Ritchie said Tuesday he thought it should be “the end of the matter” after Marler was cleared by the Six Nations panel.

“What Joe said was entirely inappropriate, he recognized that, he apologized very quickly and has apologized publicly since then,” Ritchie told the UK Press Association.

“It’s pretty clear that nobody made a complaint about it, and I think Samson Lee’s reaction to it has been evident and he accepted the apology.

“Eddie and I spoke about it and when Eddie talks to someone that person is left in no doubt as to the appropriate nature of his behavior, and that it should not be repeated.

“There was no citing officer complaint, there was no referee complaint, and the Six Nations looked at the matter fully as well, and came to a conclusion. So as far as I’m concerned that should be the end of the matter.”

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