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England in 'best condition' for Boks - Eddie Jones

Cape Town - England head coach Eddie Jones believes his squad have arrived in the best condition since his time in charge for the upcoming November Tests.

According to the official England Rugby website, the England squad are currently in Portugal for a training camp ahead of four matches which start with facing South Africa on Saturday at Twickenham.

Eight uncapped players are in the 36-man squad that will also take on New Zealand, Japan and Australia.

“We’ve lost 320 caps but we’re still going to put together a very good team," said Jones.

“We’ve got a number of players coming back that we haven’t seen in a long time like Ben Te’o and Manu Tuilagi - they bring a different dimension to the team.

“Our players are also in the best condition I’ve seen them in the three years I’ve been here at this stage, I haven’t seen them look fitter or leaner with a better body composition, mentally they’re good - they’re in a really good spot.

“I think the World Cup sharpens your focus. Without the Lions tour it allows you to have the rest and recovery and I think the clubs are doing a great job of looking after them."

After the tour to South Africa in June this year, England will play a fourth Test in a row against the Springboks in their opener.

Although England lost the series 2-1, they will go into the game buoyed by the fact they won the final Test at Newlands in Cape Town 25-10.

Since then, Rassie Erasmus' side have competed in the Rugby Championship where they finished second behind New Zealand. 

“They’ve been together since June so they’re a well organised team," added Jones.

“They know how to win big games of rugby and they’ve gone back to their roots of the game.

“They beat the All Blacks, and should have beaten them twice, through their very good driving forwards, the ability to shift the ball quickly and their defence has been the best in the Rugby Championship - we’re expecting them to be at their best.”

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