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New England coach Jones shuts door on 'foreigners'

England on Friday named the Australian, Jones, as their first foreign head coach – with the task of reviving the national team after their World Cup disaster.

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The former Australia and Japan coach has been released from his contract with South Africa's Stormers and will take up his England post next month.

He revealed that just two days after holding his first media briefing at Newlands, last Thursday, he met with Rugby Football Union Chief Executive Ian Richie in Cape Town this past Saturday.

And from then on things move rapidly – he met with Stormers officials this past Wednesday to inform him of his departure and flew to London that same evening.

Jones has agreed a four-year deal in place of Stuart Lancaster.New England coach Jones shuts door on 'foreigners'

"You always have a bit of a view when you're outside the tent," Jones said about the tricky poser of overseas-based players – when addressing his first media briefing as England coach.

"I want players who want to play for England and to play for England you have to play in the Premiership, and the Premiership is a strong competition.

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"Also, I'm happy with what we've got."

The Rugby Football Union's policy meant that the highly-rated players like Steffon Armitage and Nick Abendanon were not selected for the recent World Cup – because they play for Toulon and Clermont Auvergne respectively in the Top 14.

Jones added he had not yet made any decisions about his coaching staff.

While Lancaster stepped down last week, the Cumbrian's lieutenants Andy Farrell, Graham Rowntree and Mike Catt have remained in place.

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Steve Borthwick, who distinguished himself working beneath Jones with Japan and is now employed by Bristol, is expected to be recruited as forwards coach.

Yet Jones insists nothing will be decided until he has settled into his role and spoken with all coaches.

"I only started the job today [Friday]," he said.

"In terms of the coaching staff, they'll start on December 1 and over that period of time I'll assess the coaches that have been here, assess the staff that's been here – I want to speak to them individually – and work out what they can offer going forward.

"If they can offer what I want then they can have the job, if they don't then I'll look at other options."

When pressed for further details, Jones added: "I don't know until I've talked to them and when I've talked to them I'll know."

Lancaster was heavily criticised after England became the first nation to tumble out of a home World Cup in the pool stages.

Yet 55-year-old Australian Jones clearly sees plenty of talent in the current crop of players, believing "at least 70 percent" of the 2015 squad can feature in four years' time in Japan.

"It's a very exciting opportunity," Jones said. "England have won two of the last three Under-20 World Cups so there's great talent out there.

"For me, it's a great opportunity to coach these players.New England coach Jones shuts door on 'foreigners'

"The last World Cup side in 2015, at least 70 per cent of those guys can go into 2019. It's a great legacy that Lancaster has left, there's an opportunity to build something here."

Jones, who was very critical of current England captain Chris Robshaw in a column he wrote during the World Cup, backtracked on Friday.

"I was writing a column and probably being a bit naughty," he said.

"I'm going to sit down and have a chat with him. Like all the players he's starting on zero and he'll have a chance to impress," added Jones.

Jones also said he would focus very much on young players who could lay a claim to a 2019 World Cup place.

"All we've got to do is systematically over the four years be sure that we bring young players in, give them enough experience so that when they get to the World Cup in 2019 they've got the required amount of experience to be consistent performers.

"You've got to understand what you are good at and you've got to understand where you've got to improve."

New England coach Jones shuts door on 'foreigners'

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