‘Ridiculous’: Lawes swats aside talk of Jones’s England job being on the line

Courtney Lawes said he pays no attention to criticism of Eddie Jones, the England coach. Photograph: Dan Mullan/Getty Images

Courtney Lawes has branded suggestions Eddie Jones’s job is under threat if England end another disappointing Six Nations campaign with defeat against France on Saturday as “ridiculous”.

England have lost their two trips to Paris under Jones and a third defeat against the grand-slam chasing French could condemn them to a second successive fifth-place finish in the championship. Jones survived the inquest into last year’s dismal campaign but a repeat performance will lead to another uncomfortable post-mortem at the Rugby Football Union, less than 18 months before the 2023 World Cup.