Friday 12 May 2017 07:04, UK
Eddie Jones plans to hold a training camp in Japan next year to prepare his England players for the differences in culture and climate that await at the 2019 World Cup.
England were drawn alongside France and Argentina in Pool C on Wednesday in Kyoto and logistical planning for the tournament is already underway.
Training bases are being scouted, including one site in Tokyo that has been identified by the British Olympic Association for use at the 2020 Games, and could be secured in conjunction with England.
Spells coaching in Japanese club rugby and with the national team have given Jones an insight into the unique challenges posed by the country and he believes that adapting as successfully as possible is critical to a strong World Cup campaign.
Some of England's backroom team will travel to Japan this year and the squad will follow 12 months later, aiming to become more familiar with the country.
"From a cultural point of view everything's going to be different," said Jones. "You can't expect it to be the same as a western tournament.
"The way we behave and the way we act around the place will be important, because the Japanese can be very helpful or very unhelpful.
"I want the staff to get an idea of how to interact. Then we'd like to bring the team over here in 2018, but we're just trying to find a way to do it. Maybe the Six Nations fallow week - now that'd be a good camp!
"One of the key things is that I know how difficult this place can be. If you get things right it can be a real joy and my challenge is to get our staff to believe that.
"Our staff will get incredibly frustrated at times, because people say yes to you when they mean no. That's the reality.
"No one says no to you, it's always yes. But when they say yes three times but nothing happens, then that means it's actually a no.
"That frustration can build up and what we need to make sure is that we create an environment where the players are comfortable with their situation."
