London: England head coach Eddie Jones wants newly appointed captain Dylan Hartley to “be Tarzan” when he leads the team out in the Six Nations, he told BBC radio on Tuesday.
“On the field, he’s got to be Tarzan,” Jones told BBC Radio 5 Live. “He’s got to go out there and play with his heart. If he does that then the players will follow him.”
Hartley’s chequered disciplinary record made him a contentious choice as the successor to Chris Robshaw, but having spent 10 days observing him in training, Jones is happy with his decision.
“What I like about Dylan is he’s got a bit of ‘blokieness’ about him. He’s a real bloke, he talks to people,” said the Australian, whose side open their campaign against Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday.
“The first time I met him, we came to the kitchen here [at England’s Pennyhill Park training base] and had breakfast and he was speaking to the people who were serving behind the counter.
“He was very polite and respectful. He didn’t have to do that, but it’s a good sign. I’ve seen that with the team. He gets around, talks to people, encourages people to get involved.
“That’s what a leader is about - getting the best out of the people around you. It’s not being at the front of the bus, beating your chest and saying, ‘Do as I do.’
“It’s about engaging people, finding out what qualities they have and finding out they can improve the team environment, and I’ve been pleased how Dylan has done that.”
