Steve Borthwick had been in the hot seat for all of two minutes when he delivered the first home truth to the England rugby team.
Rather than tip-toeing into office, the former Red Rose captain got straight to the point.
“Forty-seven days I think it is until we play Scotland here at Twickenham at the start of the Six Nations,” said the Cumbrian.
“Right now, if you look at the autumn series, I don't think England are ranked in the top-three [in the world] in any one particular facet of the game. We have a lot of work to do. I think everyone can see that.”
There followed no end of expressions of pride in being entrusted with the biggest job in rugby.
“But pride will count for nothing if we don't deliver,” he added bluntly. “I want to shape a team that wins, that gets the supporters roaring. But right now our focus is making sure we are an improved team for the first game of the Six Nations.”
Borthwick, who has yet to appoint his backroom team other than defence coach Kevin Sinfield, wanted it known that the slate is clean and his mind open to who might pull on the white shirt going forward.
He acknowledged England’s most experienced players but in the same breath spoke of the “enormous potential” of those next in line.
That was smart as Jones disenfranchised many by appearing to give little or no credence to week-to-week club form.
“I care deeply about the England rugby team,” he continued. “As a little boy I fell in love with rugby watching England play.
“I was the kid jumping up and down in the living room, I was the boy that when the national anthems were being sung the hairs on the back of your neck would stand up.
“I was the guy at 14 years old that said ‘I want to play for England’. I remember it because you can become a member of the gym at 14.
"I knew nothing about training, but I set ridiculous targets on the rowing machine or whatever it was, I would say ‘if you don’t make this target you will never get to play for England’.
“So there is no doubt how much I care about this team - and the thing that strikes me is how much the players are hurting, because they too care.
“The Six Nations is going to be on us in no time so our task is to transform the pain they are feeling into performances on the pitch.”
