Tuesday 6 June 2017 09:29, UK
George Ford is certain England's senior players are ready to shoulder the greater responsibility demanded by head coach Eddie Jones on the tour to Argentina.
With 30 players unavailable for the two-Test series because of injury, suspension and the demands of the British and Irish Lions, Jones has taken one of the youngest touring parties ever assembled by England, with no fewer than 18 uncapped players heading to South America.
Although the Bath fly-half is still only 24, he will win his 37th cap in San Juan on Saturday and, as one of four England's vice-captains, was at the centre of players' meetings at the team hotel in Buenos Aires in which Jones called on them to set the standards for the tour.
"We very much want to have two levels of management," Jones said at his first news conference. "One is the staff, one is the players - there might be some different players but this is still England and we want the players to be responsible, self-driven and self-reliant.
"We set up a forwards meeting and a backs meeting and got the players to run it. I scuttled in and out of both groups.
It's going to be a toss of a coin to see if Chris Robshaw is right to play but Denny Solomona is like a flying salmon so he's going to be all right.
"They are the sort of things we are doing to constantly develop the leadership of the players, to develop their thinking about the game, develop more responsibility about being active.
"It's about being a participant, not a recipient. Professional sport to a large extent is educating players to be a recipient and it's our great belief that to be a World Cup-winning team you need to be a participant.
"We have got to trust the players and allow them to fail. There is nothing wrong with failing so today was an opportunity for them to either grow or to learn from that failing."
And Ford, who went on the 2008 England U18s tour to Argentina at the age of just 15, has given his whole-hearted backing to Jones' plan.
"One big thing Eddie is driving for as a collective aim is us taking control of everything we do," he said.
"Coaches are there to put the sessions and structures in place but after that it is the players' responsibility to make sure everything is going right on and off the field and the standards in training are where they need to be.
"Ultimately it is us on the field at the weekend and we have to have that responsibility that, when we are playing, to be able to adapt and adjust to certain situations, being proactive rather than reactive.
"What we are trying to encourage is to get lads talking and giving their thoughts on things. We had a few clips from a back's point of view and we tried to get a general debate and discussion on what we are trying to look for and achieve in certain areas.
"Also for me, as a 10, I am trying to get a greater understanding of what players in the outside channels, the outside centre, wingers and full-back - how they see the game and what they like as well. There was a good contribution from everyone."
England still have an injury doubt over another of their vice-captains, forward Chris Robshaw, but winger Denny Solomona looks set to win his first cap after shaking off an ankle problem.
"Chris Robshaw is progressing nicely," Jones said. "It's going to be a toss of a coin to see if he's right to play but Denny Solomona is like a flying salmon so he's going to be all right."
