The run of 19 wins in 20 Tests since Jones took charge two years ago has brought with it a Grand Slam, a Six Nations title and unbeaten tours of Australia and Argentina which would imply that little needs changing.
New Zealand though remain World No 1 and for England to overtake them in time for Japan 2019, Jones believes he needs to instigate a shake-up. The balls need to be thrown into the air again.
“We’ve got some information on other teams that indicates there’s a gap of about 20 per cent in certain areas and that’s what we’ve got to breach,” said Jones. “We’ve had two good years and have a solid squad, solid style of play and solid credits in the bank, it’s time now to start developing the depth and adaptability of the team. We need to make the team more uncomfortable, not have everything nice and rosy. Have a bit of chaos in the camp.
“We want the players to be uncomfortable for the next two years so that when they get to the World Cup they think, ‘goodness me we’ve made it’ and they’re prepared for anything. “They’re prepared for North Korea to fire a missile, an earthquake, bad sushi, bad refereeing – it doesn’t matter what happens. They will be ready for it.”
Destabilisation can take different forms – changing personnel maybe or switching tactics – but the aim is the same. To take the team out of their comfort zone. It is what the admiring Jones has seen New Zealand do in the Rugby Championship.
“What they’ve done post the Lions has been so clever. They’ve deliberately put themselves under pressure in games to equip themselves better for the World Cup,” he said. “I think they are really testing the waters at the moment and deliberately playing the game in a way which tests their players, to see where they’re at and see how much they can push them.
“If you look at the game at the moment, everyone is trying to play the game faster. Is the cycle of fastness going to last until the World Cup? Nobody knows.
“They are equipping themselves so if that happens, they are ready.”
Pushing the envelope is not without its risks – the All Blacks lost to Australia in the final game of the tournament – and Jones is aware of the difficulties that come with defeats.
“We’ve got to keep winning, because if we don’t keep winning, I won’t be in the job,” he said.
But he is prepared to gamble on the short term with 2019 in mind.
So England will take on Argentina on November 11 – and quite possibly Australia and Samoa too – without some established pillars of the side. In the cases of the injured Billy Vunipola, Jack Nowell and Ben Te’o plus the suspended Joe Marler and Kyle Sinckler those absences are forced upon them.
Other omissions, though, will be voluntary as Jones prepares to put other assets into temporary cold storage post Lions with the long term in mind.
It would be a surprise if Maro Itoje, who has started every game for Saracens this season, was not one while Owen Farrell, Elliot Daly, Anthony Watson and Jamie George may also need to be handled with care after starting every Test against the All Blacks this summer.
Dylan Hartley will be around as captain to steer the ship but there is no James Haskell who was the major casualty of yesterday’s squad announcement.
After 75 caps it looks to be a long road back for the 32-year-old – even if Jones has not yet written off the Wasps flanker.
“He knows he’s a bit off the pace at the moment,” said Jones. “But every game he plays he’s a little bit better. The door is certainly not closed on him.”
It will be a quieter autumn without Haskell around but there will be alternative voices to listen to for the squad. Frenchman Marc Dal Maso will work on the scrum, while Australian rugby league coach Jason Ryles (defence) and South African eye coach Sherylle Calder (vision) will also be involved.