Eddie Jones rejects concerns that rugby's current emphasis on defence is alienating prospective new fans as alarmist even though he accepts only purists will have enjoyed the Autumn Nations Cup.

England face a France team weakened by the unavailability of their best players in the tournament final at Twickenham on Sunday when it will be hoped that attacks finally ignite.

Workmanlike wins against Georgia, Ireland and Wales have established a seven-match winning run, but they have been founded on defence, set-piece and kicking, mirroring a wider trend in the game.

"When you have got big guys – 120kg guys – if the ball in play is longer they are going to get fatigued and that means there's going to be more space. That's one way of getting a better balance in the game."

Jones insists there is a lack of consistency from referees, but this is a result of the limitations caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

"One of the reasons why it is difficult at the moment is because referees aren't getting together and there is a lack of face-to-face consolation of what we expect and what we need," he said.

"Therefore we are getting quite wide variants of the way that the referees are applying the laws. And that is not contributing to the rugby maybe a lot of people want to see."