Wednesday 17 May 2017 06:29, UK
Eddie Jones insists he does not care about where players are born and will pick anyone who is eligible to play for England.
The Six Nations champions were put through their paces on Tuesday at the start of a training camp at Brighton College as England prepare to face the Barbarians on May 28 before playing two Tests against Argentina next month.
With 15 players touring with the British and Irish Lions this summer and Ben Youngs unavailable, Jones selected two New Zealand-born players, Gloucester's Willi Heinz and Bristol's Jason Woodward, as part of a 26-man squad for the three-day camp in Brighton that also includes Sale's Denny Solomona.
World Rugby recently extended the residency qualification period to represent a new nation from three to five years to come into effect in 2020, but Jones insisted he will continue to select anyone available to him, irrespective of background.
"My job is to pick English-qualified players," Jones told Sky Sports News HQ. "It doesn't matter they are born in Tasmania or Timbuktu or New Zealand or Northampton or Bedford.
"I don't look at where they are born."
Heinz qualifies to play for England through his grandmother though he has represented New Zealand's under-21s and even played against England for Super Rugby outfit Crusaders in 2014.
Jones said: "Willie is a good player. He played Super Rugby well for the Crusaders and he has done well for Gloucester. Given the number of half-backs we have out at the moment, it was a good opportunity to have a look at him."
Fly-half Woodward has also received his first England call-up and Jones is happy to be working with him.
"He is an outstanding player. He is really good player," Jones said. "He was one of the best players for the Hurricanes when they won the Super Rugby competition. He is a talented boy.
"He wants to play for England but he has got a fair few good players ahead of him so this is a big opportunity for him to put his best foot forward here."
New Zealand-born wing Solomona represented Samoa in rugby league, but will tour Argentina with England having already qualified on residency.
Solomona sprained an ankle during Tuesday's session and was seen wearing a protective boot as a precaution afterwards.
"He is try-getter," Jones said of Solomona. "He is a big lump of a lad. He went to rugby league and now has come back and he can give us something a bit different.
"But again he has got some good players ahead of him."
Jones admitted selection for this week's squad has been difficult with so many players unavailable but he is enjoying the opportunity to get a closer look at some new players.
"It gives us a great opportunity to look at the depth of English rugby," Jones said. "At some spots we are probably down to the eighth or ninth-choice player.
"And you never know when you are going to need those players. You look at the World Cup in 2011 when Stephen Donald was probably the fifth or sixth-choice standoff and ended up kicking the winning goal so that is the opportunity for this camp."
