LONDON ¨C Dylan Hartley has all the right qualities to lead the British and Irish Lions for the tour of New Zealand next year, the England captain¡¯s head coach Eddie Jones has said.
The 30-year-old hooker, who has picked up 74 caps for his country, led England to a first Six Nations grand slam in 13 years in March and followed that up with a maiden series win in Australia earlier this month.
¡°I think he would be a great candidate. He has clearly done a good job leading England, he has got the ability to develop relationships with people, and therefore he would be a great candidate for the Lions job,¡± Jones told the BBC.
¡°He is very good with the players in making sure they understand standards we want in the team, and making sure they understand the values that are important.¡±
Vice captain Billy Vunipola believes Hartley¡¯s approach was in accordance with that of Jones, adding that the skipper had the respect of all his teammates.
¡°I feel he is a clone of Eddie. They are both brutally honest and you have a lot of respect for that because you know where you stand,¡± Vunipola said.
¡°He will always put the team first. If he thinks you aren¡¯t pulling your weight he will tell you, and if you are doing a good job he will tell you. He is very inspirational, and a lot of boys follow him in that respect.¡±
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