Players need to stand up and challenge Eddie Jones – Andy Goode

Ireland’s domination at Twickenham on Saturday and throughout the Six Nations showed how far they’ve come in the past year and a half and just how far England have to go in the next 18 months.

Winning the Grand Slam and beating both France and England away from home is a monumental achievement by Ireland. They thoroughly deserved the success they had and you could see the hard work that went into it but also that the players were physically, mentally and tactically primed to give them the best shot at winning the title.

They have been quietly going about their business very well for a while now but this puts them firmly on the map as the second best team in the world and it’ll be interesting to see if they can kick on even more from here.

Ireland and the other teams have improved but England, having won the title for the past two seasons, have regressed. Eddie Jones says we’re making progress but it looks like we’re getting closer and closer to the next World Cup but getting further and further from being able to win it.

It was England’s worst campaign for 31 years since the 1987 Five Nations and the first time they’ve lost three in a row in the Six Nations since 2006 when I started against Ireland, so at least I can say this team is worse than ours now!

We lost away to Scotland and France and then at home to Ireland as well 12 years ago but that’s where the comparisons end really. There were a lot of stop gaps in that side, including myself, and this current crop should be in a much better position.

However, England went on to reach the World Cup final in 2007 and there were players like Matt Dawson and Lawrence Dallaglio who could challenge the coach and that’s what was needed at the time under Andy Robinson.

There is absolutely no need to throw the baby out with the bath water and start to question Eddie Jones’ position. That would be ridiculous with the record he still has but he’s autocratic and I’m not sure there are the leaders in this playing group that can stand up and challenge him if necessary.

I think Eddie Jones is the only person in the country who thinks Dylan Hartley should be starting at hooker and, as a result, I don’t think Hartley’s likely to challenge his coaching methods and even though you can clearly see they’re out on their feet.

I’ve seen how hard these England players train and they go hell for leather at an intensity over and above that of a game but, even if you haven’t seen it up close, it’s clear for all to see how tired they are.

Ireland’s players do get regular rests during PRO14 weeks but they are working hard in training too, it’s just that they’re being smarter.

Dean Benton, who can often be seen sat next to Eddie Jones, is the RFU’s Head of Sports Science and he was our Head of Strength and Conditioning at Leicester for around six months many years ago but he didn’t last long.

He came from rugby league in Australia but didn’t understand the rigours of a Premiership season and now he has popped up all these years later as one of Eddie Jones’ right-hand men.

England players leaving the field dejected

The physical state of the players is one factor but selection can’t be swept under the carpet either and Jones has suggested himself that some players might have played their last game for England.

There are a lot players in this squad who have got over 50 caps, so if there aren’t enough leaders when they have that much experience, then there’s something wrong with how they’ve developed off the field in terms of trying to harness some leadership potential.

Some players are clearly still in the squad because they have credit in the bank from what they’ve done a couple of years ago as well and that sets a dangerous precedent. Nobody should be cast aside, but England need to start picking players on form.

Chris Robshaw, for example, does work hard but he hasn’t had a positive impact on the team. When Billy Vunipola is in that side and doing all of the carrying, it allows him to be more effective but he’s been exposed without having one of the best players in the world alongside him.

Dan Cole came on against Ireland and did well in the scrum but he hasn’t been offering enough around he park and George Ford had an impact off the bench as well but has been found wanting in this tournament.

Rugby’s a hell of a lot easier on the front foot and a major reason England’s attack has failed is that they haven’t had Billy Vunipola to get them over the gainline but you can’t rely on one man.

They need to be more creative in attack. Eddie Jones looks after that area and is fairly autocratic in the way he operates but does he need someone else in there as another pair of eyes? I think he does.

The fact that Jones has signed a two-year contract extension and has proved himself with the record he has had over the past couple of years means that there are rightly no question marks over his position and that enables him to still rest some of his British & Irish Lions for the summer tour to South Africa, despite the fact that they’ve had a disastrous Six Nations campaign.

The Springboks will be better under Rassie Erasmus, but they’re not the force they used to be and he can still afford to rest the likes of Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje and others who have played too much rugby.

The likes of Dylan Hartley and Mike Brown are likely to be on the phone to Eddie Jones badgering him to go on the tour though as if you’re left out, you may never get a chance again.

If his job was under threat, he’d be taking his strongest squad but it isn’t and I’m sure that’ll allow him to stick to his guns and rest some of the big names and give some fresh faces more of a chance in South Africa.

If there’s ever a chance to make changes and have a look at different leaders, then it’s a summer tour. Poor old Jamie George didn’t play brilliantly when he started against France but it must be hard for him, knowing he was considered the best hooker in the British Isles but can’t get in the England team.

He surely has to be given a run in the side and Luke Cowan-Dickie is in the form of his life just behind him in the pecking order as well.

The make-up of the squad will be fascinating when it’s announced but, whichever way Eddie Jones decides to go, a worst campaign since 1987 means changes are inevitable and he has to follow through with his threat that some players have played their last games.

Eddie Jones faces media after England lose third game in a row