Eddie Jones unveils plan for keeping his England players fit during shutdown

Eddie Jones has revealed England are furnishing domestic clubs with equipment and providing players with training schedules so they can hit the ground running once elite rugby is allowed to resume.

The Gallagher Premiership has been suspended until at least April 14, with further delays in the season extremely likely because of the coronavirus crisis that has put all major sporting events on hold.

(Continue reading below...)

Big Jim and Goodey are joined by Italy international George Biagi, who updates The Rugby Pod on how coronavirus is affecting his country

Players are therefore having to train by themselves at home but England head coach Jones, who is known as a famed hard taskmaster, will not allow standards to slip.

“We’re going to hold one of these virtual meetings on Monday,” Jones said on the England Rugby podcast.

“For the players it’s obviously particularly different because they’re not training for their clubs. We’re trying to assist the clubs where we can with equipment and also assist the players with ideas of how they can train.

“Because at the end of the day, we’re going to beat this virus and when the virus is beaten we want the players ready to go.”

Jones, who has been using his free time to look back on the yet-to-be-completed Guinness Six Nations, has called on his players to set an example for others to follow in the grip of the pandemic.

Speaking from his home in Japan, Jones added: “It’s a difficult time. Obviously the health of everyone is the most important thing.

“Rugby is a game that has always espoused teamwork and one of the things we talk about with the England side all the time is how you can become a better team-mate. Now for everyone, it’s how you become a better citizen. Following instructions and behaving with discipline is important.”

- Press Association 

WATCH: Billy Vunipola chats to Jim Hamilton in the latest episode of The Lockdown, the new RugbyPass series