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THE Rugby Times understands that Owen Farrell is Eddie Jones' long term first choice fly half, and that the make-up of the England back-line is reliant on the return to form of Manu Tuilagi.
The Scotland game last weekend was seen by Jones as a last chance for many of the more established England players, with Chris Robshaw and Joe Marler being two players under the spotlight, while George Ford would not have made the team had Exeter's Henry Slade, whom Eddie also rates very highly, been fit.
Ford found himself at fly half to accommodate Owen Farrell at 12 in the absence of Slade and Manu Tuilagi, who Jones believes can be England's answer to Ma'a Nonu.
The Australian is still undecided on a long term centre strategy, which centre's around whether to play Tuilagi or Sam Hill as a ball-carrying twelve, or whether to play his traditionally preferred 2nd 5/8, likely to be Slade or Ollie Devoto.
It is believed that he is waiting to assess Tuilagi in the England 12 shirt before making a decision, but is hoping to shape his team around the Leicester centre.
That decision will likely not come until the summer when the England head coach will have a much clearer picture of his squad.
Jones also sees Jonathon Joseph and Elliot Daly as interchangeable at 13, but not able to play together in the same midfield, and is not willing to play a 'left and right' style centre combination.
The Rugby Times also understands that Matt Kvesic is being sidelined due to a perceived lack of ball-carrying prowess, while rising star Maro Itoje is being primed for a spot in the team to play Italy.
Jones has said he wants his team 'to give Italy a good hiding', by playing with ball-in-hand at a quick tempo, but believes that the current squad 'won't be fit enough to play Australia (in June) on hard tracks, definitely'.
However, he is 'a hundred per cent confident' that he can get his players up to speed, working in tandem with the Premiership clubs, by the time they depart for the three test tour down under.
He said: "Fitness is not straight-out fitness, it is game-specific fitness.
"The only way you get that is to train specifically for rugby, you don't get it through doing other things.
"We will pick up a considerable amount and by the time we have finished this Six Nations we will be a fitter side than we are now."
