Jones’ selection of the 28-man squad has already been affected by the Covid outbreak at Sale Sharks in which 16 players and three members of staff tested positive last week, which has plunged the climax of Premiership Rugby’s league campaign into disarray.
“I can’t comment on this Sale situation because I don’t know anything about it but what I can comment on is that we’ve looked at various teams around the world to see how they’ve handled it.
“There has been a consistency in what you have to do and that is you have to communicate well from the top down and from the bottom up.
“You have to have agreement about life in the bubble, which we will do today because it’s the first time we’ve had the players with us. And we have to have a smile on our faces and get on with it. We should be so grateful for this opportunity. I’ve got a smile on my face because I’m so excited to be coaching England again. I expect the players to have a smile on their faces when they come in.
“They will understand their responsibilities but as young men, we all make mistakes. When you are in your twenties and thirties, sometimes you make mistakes. We have seen coaches of 75 make mistakes in the NRL, so none of us are exempt from it. It’s going to be a constant driver to be as good as we can be in that area.
“We have to reduce the chances of communal infection which means that we don’t have any contact with the community. By default, that means we will be staying in the Lensbury.”
The curfew will require an extra focus on the players’ mental welfare. One of the team sponsors, Red Bull, has set up an entertainment room in the hotel to help pass the time.
“They’ve set up a fantastic, state-of-the-art games lounge for us,” added Jones. “If I was 30 years younger I’d go in there but I feel a bit old walking in.
“We’ve got putting greens, we’ve got all sorts of games. But the big thing is that the players make their own enjoyment.
“Togetherness is about the players driving it, the senior players, particularly. We’ve tried to make the environment as friendly as we can but it’s a balance between hard work and enjoyment. The task is always to get that right. The staff have done a fantastic job setting up the Lensbury. I think we’re well-equipped to handle what’s ahead of us.
“As the circumstances are a bit different we need to be aware of that and take it into consideration of how we structure the team environment. We will make sure we have the necessary support. But they also have to understand how grateful they should be for their opportunity to play for England and play sport at the top level. The world is in a difficult situation and they have a great opportunity to play rugby and represent England and I expect them to be full of beans and ready to go.”
