Leadership.

England head coach Eddie Jones has defended his decision to substitute captain Dylan Hartley with 25 minutes to go against Scotland, despite his side trailing.

Jones’ replacement policy has been criticised by former England head coach, and Rugby World Cup winner, Clive Woodward. He said his “heart sank” when he saw Hartley being withdrawn at a time when leadership was clearly needed.

Can you imagine Lawrence Dallaglio or Martin Johnson going off at Murrayfield with 25 minutes to go when their team are in dire trouble?” Woodward said.

Jones however, has defended his decision to rotate his forwards in the second-half of games.

“The game has changed in terms of intensity. It’s very hard for front-row forwards to play 80 minutes.” Jones said.

“I’ve seen Mako Vunipola go 77 minutes and he comes off as a physical wreck. It takes half a week to recuperate, without any exaggeration.

“So most front-row players around the world go 60 minutes, because of the amount of work they have to do is three times what they had to do 10 years ago.

“Speak to Woodward about his opinion. We have set up the team so that the captaincy is movable.”

What do you think of Jones’ decision to replace Hartley? Should your captain always remain on the field in a situation like that?