England call on Will Carling as Boks lie in wait

London - Former England captain Will Carling is set to join the national team set-up as a leadership mentor, coach Eddie Jones said.

Carling, who led his country to three Grand Slams in 1991, 1992 and 1995, begins his part-time role next week for England's November Tests, with the first match against South Africa on Saturday.

Jones has hailed Carling as a "specialist in leadership" and backed the 52-year-old to add value to the squad by developing the skills of England's senior players, headed by co-captains Owen Farrell and Dylan Hartley.

"He joins the great past of England to the present," Jones told reporters.

"It is a similar thing to what the All Blacks have done with great players, and I think Will can play that role for us."

Jones believes Carling's experience will be key to bring an English perspective to the backroom staff.

"Because I'm not English, I can't preach to the players about having pride in England," he added.

"Will is a bit of a specialist in leadership. He understands what made English rugby great, so combining the skill of leadership with the knowledge of English history is a nice resource for us to have."

The South Africa Test begins a month of internationals at Twickenham for England, with other fixtures against New Zealand, Japan and Australia.

Carling played 73 Tests for England between 1988 and 1997.

He also played one Test for the British and Irish Lions against New Zealand in Christchurch in 1993.