"Some guys will lose desire, some guys will lose fitness, some guys will get injuries, and there'll be young guys come through. So this team is finished now"
Monday 4 November 2019 06:45, UK
Eddie Jones has responded to England's World Cup final defeat by South Africa by admitting the current team is "finished".
A 32-12 rout in Yokohama on Saturday prevented England from winning the competition for a second time, despite impressive victories over Australia and New Zealand in the previous rounds.
However, a number of the 31-man squad taken to Japan are to be changed for next year's Six Nations as Jones begins rebuilding for the next assault on the global stage.
"I tell you what happens to teams - they evolve," said Jones.
"Some guys will lose desire, some guys will lose fitness, some guys will get injuries, and there'll be young guys come through. So this team is finished now.
"There will be a new team made - we'll make a new team for the Six Nations and that new team for the Six Nations will be the basis of going to the next World Cup.
"And I'll have them for the first two years. And you're so lucky because you've got me for another two years."
Rugby Football Union (RFU) chief executive Bill Sweeney told Sky Sports that Jones is "committed" to seeing out his contract as England head coach until 2021.
The 59-year-old is expected to be offered fresh terms that will take him to the next World Cup in France.
The England head coach said there are still reasons to be positive after the tournament, despite a disappointing performance in the final.
He said: "We've taken a team that couldn't get out of the pool at the last World Cup and got beaten in the final, but there's all this negativity about their performance. I find it incredible.
"Well, we finished ahead of 18 other teams. We weren't good enough against South Africa, we weren't good enough. Sorry. I apologise. What do you want me to say?
"What do you want me to say? Tell me what you want me to say. We weren't good enough, we got beaten by a better team.
"I've been coaching 23 years, it happens periodically. You think you've got a team right and ready to go and, for some reason, they don't perform to the level you expect."
