By any mimes necessary: Eddie Jones wants England to act out in training

‘You’ve got to find out other ways of teaching the game,’ says England’s Eddie Jones. Photograph: Dan Mullan/The RFU Collection/Getty Images

Eddie Jones is introducing the art of mime to England training sessions in an effort to improve his squad’s non-verbal communication and adjust to player welfare initiatives that limit contact training.

Rather than watching Charlie Chaplin classics, Jones has borrowed the idea of mime training – which bans players and coaches from talking – from the NBA, having consulted with basketball and NFL coaches. The head coach sees the practice as a means of keeping sessions fresh and lightening the load on his squad.