England head coach Jones calls on Will Carling to be leadership guru

England head coach Eddie Jones calls on Will Carling to be leadership guru

  • Ex-England skipper will work with co-captains Dylan Hartley and Owen Farrell
  • Eddie Jones hopes Will Carling will be able to discuss English pride with players
  • He has chosen him to join team on a trial, part-time basis starting Saturday  

Will Carling has been recruited by England head coach Eddie Jones as a leadership guru, to work with his co-captains — Dylan Hartley and Owen Farrell — and other senior players.

The former England skipper, who took on that role when he was just 22, led the team to three Grand Slams and a World Cup final during the Nineties. 

He upset members of the squad with criticism during the 2015 tournament but Jones has chosen him to join the management team on a trial, part-time basis, starting with Saturday’s Test against South Africa at Twickenham.

Will Carling has been recruited by England head coach Eddie Jones as a leadership guru

Will Carling has been recruited by England head coach Eddie Jones as a leadership guru

‘I’ve met Will continuously over the last two years and I think he can add value to the senior players with his experience,’ said the Australian. ‘He joins the great past of England to the present. It is a similar thing to what the All Blacks have done.

‘He’s a specialist in leadership and he understands English rugby and what made English rugby great. So combining the skill of leadership with the knowledge of English history is a nice resource for us to have.

‘I’m not English so I can’t preach to the players about having pride in England. I don’t attempt to. But I’ve thought we have had a gap in that area.’

Carling captained England and led the team to three Grand Slams and a World Cup final

Carling captained England and led the team to three Grand Slams and a World Cup final

Eddie Jones is hopeful that he can work well with his co-captains during upcoming Tests

Eddie Jones is hopeful that he can work well with his co-captains during upcoming Tests

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