Jones calls for ref respect ahead of Boks showdown

England head coach Eddie Jones insists referees must be treated with respect as he once again prepares to face a South Africa team who will be without Rassie Erasmus at Twickenham.

Erasmus, the Springboks' director of rugby, will on Saturday complete a matchday ban incurred for publishing a series of sarcastic tweets criticising officials during the Autumn Nations Series.

Wayne Barnes, who oversaw South Africa's defeat by France on 12 November, received abuse on social media as a result of Erasmus' comments.

The mastermind of the Springboks' 2019 World Cup triumph has only just returned from a year-long suspension for releasing a one-hour video critiquing Australian referee Nick Berry during last year's Lions tour.

He was with the South African squad for their 19-16 defeat to Ireland at the Aviva Stadium on 5 November.

In the aftermath of that game, he tweeted out a video claiming to demonstrate the "small margins" between similar incidents in the lead-up to Mack Hansen's try for Ireland - when Caelan Doris flicked the ball away at the breakdown with his foot - and a potential breakaway winner for South Africa’s Eben Etzebeth that was called back by match referee Nika Amashukeli.

He is no stranger to controversy, and ahead of England's showdown with the Boks, Jones joked: "Rassie might come in a laundry box! That's been done before hasn't it? Usually by the Tottenham manager! I'm sure he will get in there somehow.

"The only think I'd say is that we have to respect the referees and look after the referees. They're an important part of our game. What's happened, happened," Jones said.

Jones has dropped his two vice-captains Ellis Genge and Jack Nowell as part of four changes to the starting XV that secured a dramatic late draw