Jones backs England to get physical with Ireland in 'semi-final'

Eddie Jones has promised England will play with a "physicality" unknown to Ireland in what he has billed as a Six Nations "semi-final" at Twickenham on Saturday.

Defeat for either side in the penultimate round of the 2022 Championship would effectively end their title hopes, with France bidding to go one step nearer a coveted Grand Slam against Wales in Cardiff the night before.

England started this Six Nations with a defeat by Scotland and have so far managed a meagre seven tries in three games.

Jones, however, believes England are coming into their own as they did in an Autumn series that culminated with a thrilling 27-26 win over South Africa -- the team that beat his side in the 2019 World Cup final in Japan.

"We've now surpassed, in terms of our conditioning and cohesiveness where we were against South Africa," said England coach Jones. "We'll see that progress on Saturday and get after Ireland."

The veteran Australian boss added: "Ireland haven't played against a team like us before, they haven't played against South Africa since 2017. We played with a physicality they haven't seen before."

England, who saw off reigning champions Wales 23-19 last time out, have a tough fortnight, playing Ireland a week before they complete the Championship against France in Paris.

Lose both games and they could finish fifth for the second season in a row.

Jones' current contract runs until after the end of the 2023 World Cup and the 62-year-old has repeatedly said that England's performance at next year's global showpiece in France is the standard by which he expects to be judged.

"If these projects were a linear progression, then everyone would do it and it would be easy," he said. "It's not. Obviously, we want to win the next game. That