- Title: Black eye for Jones, England armband for Hartley
- Date: 25th January 2017
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (JANUARY 25, 2017) (REUTERS) ENGLAND HEAD COACH, EDDIE JONES, ARRIVES FOR NEWS CONFERENCE EDDIE JONES AND ENGLAND CAPTAIN, DYLAN HARTLEY, SAT DOWN CLOSE OF JONES' BLACK EYE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND HEAD COACH, EDDIE JONES, SAYING ABOUT HOW HE GOT BLACK EYE: "First we had judo and then we had MMA. So, we're just going through all the martial arts and seeing what effect they have on the body. No, I just slipped over in the hotel this morning. My mother told me I've always got to shave. I forgot to shave and walked out of the shower and this is what happens." NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND HEAD COACH, EDDIE JONES, SAYING: "I still haven't told him. I haven't told you, have I? Maybe it's a good time to tell him. Alright, I'd like to officially announce Dylan's the captain of England. There you go." HARTLEY: "Honestly? Yeah. Yeah. Good." NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND CAPTAIN, DYLAN HARTLEY, SAYING: "I feel fresh. I feel fit and focused." JONES: "Sixty weeks off, mate. He's used to it. He's an expert, a world expert at it." NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND CAPTAIN, DYLAN HARTLEY, SAYING: "I think being a part of this group is a privilege. Like I said it's an aspirational place to be. And when you know the team and the journey it's on it's going somewhere and we want to be the best team in the world. To be a part of that and to feel like it's going somewhere is a privilege. So, I've had a good reality check and I understand I'm in a privileged position, whether that be a player in the team or the captain." NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND HEAD COACH, EDDIE JONES, SAYING: "It's a unanimous choice. If you look back at the New Zealand side of the past eight years McCaw and Carter were unanimous choices. So, they're world class players because every game they played eight out of ten. They never slipped down to a six out of ten. They never slipped down to five out of ten and that's being the world class. In cricket you've got to average 60 to be world class. So, in rugby we've got some players doing exceptionally well. But that doesn't mean they're world class yet and doesn't mean they're great players and it's not a detriment on English rugby that we don't have that. Now, obviously, we do. By 2019 we want to have four or five world class players because that gives you such a solidity of performance that it doesn't matter whatever game you're put in you're going to play well because you've got those four or five guys that are going to play eight of ten every game. You know that. And we'll get there. We'll get there. So, don't worry about it too much, mate." HARTLEY LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE JONES LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 8th February 2017 14:43
- Keywords: England Rugby Eddie Jones Six Nations
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Rugby Union,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA00160KXUF3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: England coach Eddie Jones arrived at the official launch of the Six Nations championship on Wednesday (January 25) looking like he had been getting a little too involved in their warm weather training as he sported a large bandage over a cut and black eye.
However, the explanation for the injury was a little more mundane as the Australian said he fell in his hotel bathroom earlier in the day.
"We've had judo then MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) - we're going through the martial arts," he joked when asked about the injury at the Hurlingham Club in London.
"Actually I slipped over in the hotel this morning. I walked out of the shower, I forgot to shave, and I went over."
Jones was accompanied at the launch by hooker Dylan Hartley, who was confirmed as captain and is set to start England's opener with France on Feb. 4 despite not playing a match since being banned for a high tackle in a club game last December.
"I feel fresh, fit and focused," said Hartley. "I've had some time out - I know where I need to be."
When Hartley was asked if he had had much previous experience of preparing for a big game after a long spell on the sidelines, Jones interrupted. "Sixty weeks mate," he said, laughing, in reference to the hooker's accumulated ban time. "He's a world expert."
Jones, who oversaw a perfect year of 13 wins having taken over from Stuart Lancaster, is seeking a second successive Six Nations Grand Slam. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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