England rugby coach Eddie Jones now claims they AREN'T underdogs for Six Nations opener vs Scotland

The newly-hired Aussie ditches the diplomacy ahead of Saturday's trip to Murrayfield explaining that he is looking to fill his young squad with belief

Eddie's ready: Aussie coach will take team to Scotland this weekend

Eddie Jones has changed his mind about England being Calcutta Cup underdogs - and APOLOGISED to Scotland for labelling them favourites.

Five days out from Saturday’s Murrayfield showdown, Jones decided it was time to ditch the diplomacy and tell the world what he really thinks.

He began by correcting the impression that he thinks hosts Scotland have a favourite's chance in the Six Nations opener.

He then claimed his England team would go into games believing they are the world’s best - even if that feeds the age-old ‘arrogant England’ stereotype predecessor Stuart Lancaster worked so hard to dismantle.

Arrogance? Jones says his squad must believe it is the best in the world 

“You have to do everything you can to win,” said the Aussie master of mind games. “That’s my job as a coach. That’s what I’m hired to do.

“Every time we talk we are trying to find a way to win, creating a situation where we put our team in the best position.
"I think mind games are an important part of the game.”

Jones hailed Wales boss Warren Gatland as a “champion” at it - and suggested Sir Clive Woodward was given a knighthood as much for his service to mind games as for winning the World Cup.

Having explained his general philosophy towards the dark art, Jones set to work on Scotland.
This is a guy who, last month, said of the Scots: “They’re pretty happy with themselves at the moment.

"They’ve told everyone they should have been in the (World Cup) semi-final, so they must be the highest-ranked team in Europe.

"We go in as massive underdogs.”

Open day: Taking a pre-tournament training session at Twickenham 

When he repeated it at the Six Nations launch, Scotland boss Vern Cotter accused him of employing a “psychological lever” to take the pressure off himself.
“I know Vern was upset about that so I apologise to him,” Jones said. “If you want me to write a letter of apology, I will.

“Vern doesn’t want to be favourites, but we are happy to be. We are a side that is going to prepare well for Test matches, that is going to believe we can win Test matches and is going to believe we are going to be the best team in the world.
  
“Now if that’s being arrogant then it is being arrogant. To me it is belief about what we can be.
"Arrogance is only bad when you lose. If you are winning and you are arrogant then it is self-belief.

Fresh start: Jones with controversial captain Dylan Hartley 

Jones wasn’t done.

He said his memories of Murrayfield with Australia were good as “we never lost a Test there”.
And he warned: “The Scottish are canny people, aren’t they? I remember the time the pitch was being re-marked three hours before a game.

"People painted with blue crosses are going to be screaming and yelling. But that’s what Test match rugby is about, isn’t it?”

Maro Itoje is in line for a Murrayfield call-up if fellow forward Courtney Lawes fails to shake off a hamstring strain.