England coach Eddie Jones says his experience of southern-hemisphere rugby has made him wary of expanding the Six Nations to include the Springboks.

Over the weekend, the Daily Mail reported that negotiations had taken place for South Africa to move north after the 2021 World Cup in France.

Meanwhile, speaking to Sunday newspaper Rapport, SA Rugby president Mark Alexander suggested the article was pure speculation, but did admit the reports are also ‘not too far from the truth because there is a lot of disruption in rugby right now’.

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However, using the expansion of Vodacom Super Rugby as an example, Jones highlighted how adding more teams to the Six Nations could backfire.

‘It [Six Nations] is called the greatest rugby tournament in the world and I think it is. So, why would you want to add other teams that are going to decrease the level of competition?

‘I can only talk from experience. Super Rugby was the golden egg of rugby – brilliant, 12 teams, competitive. As soon as it had gone to 14 and 15, it had lost its allure.

‘You want the best teams playing against each other. There’s something about the Six Nations – because of the history of the relationships between the nations, it makes it more outstanding.’

Photo: Getty Images

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