Eddie Jones has ignored calls for a natural No 8 to be added to his England squad after selecting the same 34 players for the Calcutta Cup clash with Scotland this weekend.

England made a disastrous start to their Six Nations campaign, with Grand Slam hopes extinguished on the opening weekend courtesy of the 24-17 defeat by France on Sunday. It took Jones’s side 55 minutes to get themselves on the scoreboard, by which time France had romped out to an unassailable 24-0 lead, and the England head coach had to face questions over his selection for their first game since the Rugby World Cup final defeat.

Jones had decided against calling up a recognised No 8, with both Alex Dombrandt of Harlequins and Exeter Chiefs’ Sam Simmonds omitted, with flanker Tom Curry instead deputising for the injured Billy Vunipola. Curry struggled to make a dent on the French defence along with his teammates, as without two-try wing Jonny May’s tally of 48 metres made, England averaged just eight metres carrying per person throughout the entire 80 minutes.

Yet Jones believes that the 21-year-old Sale Sharks forward remains the right man for the job while Vunipola recovers from hid latest injury setback and is set to stick with him in the No 8 shirt for Saturday’s trip to BT Murrayfield.

“I see him as a long term No 8 so I am prepared to accept some mistakes for him to learn and become a better No 8,” Jones said. “We don't have a one-game selection policy, just look at players like (Ellis) Genge and how long it has taken him to be a Test player – four years. They have to go through this apprenticeship and sometimes they go through some pain at the start of it.

Ratings: France vs England Show all 31 1 /31 Ratings: France vs England Ratings: France vs England France 24-17 England France recorded a deserved 24-17 victory over England on the opening weekend of the Six Nations - but who were the star players? Click through the gallery to see out player ratings. Getty Images Ratings: France vs England France: 15. Anthony Bouthier – 7 Very assured on his debut as he looked composed in defence, with a crucial tackle on George Kruis to hold up the lock over the line. AFP via Getty Images Ratings: France vs England 14. Teddy Thomas – 7 Return to international rugby came with a reminder of how dangerous he can be with the ball in hand Devastating break in the build-up to the first try. AFP via Getty Images Ratings: France vs England 13. Virimi Vakatawa – 6 Had been built up as the major threat to England but was kept fairly quiet, largely due to a knock he suffered early on. AFP via Getty Images Ratings: France vs England 12. Gael Fickou – 6 Linked the play well in midfield but wasn't able to do much of note with the ball in hand. AFP via Getty Images Ratings: France vs England 11. Vincent Rattez – 8 Was due to start the game on the bench yet found himself celebrating a try five minutes into the match, having beaten Youngs to score. Played a key role in the try after linking with Ollivon and certainly made the most of his chance in the starting XV. Getty Images Ratings: France vs England 10. Romain Ntamack – 8 Pulled the strings well at 10 as he controlled the game with his half-back partner, and did well to shake off a huge tackle from Ellis Genge that could well have ended his game early. AFP via Getty Images Ratings: France vs England 9. Anthony Dupont – 9 France love a scrum-half who controls so emphatically and in Dupont they have a gem of a player on their hands. It was his box-kicks that caused England problems and led to Ollivon's first try, before he single-handedly set up his second score by beating Sinckler and Youngs. Had it not been for kicking the ball dead a minute early at the end of the match - and subsequently handing England the penalty they used to clinch a bonus point - he could have received a perfect 10, although the site of fans chanting his name after the huge tackle on Willi Heinz was worth the ticket price alone. AFP via Getty Images Ratings: France vs England 1. Cyril Baile – 7 Not overly outstanding in the scrum but did a good job of not giving England the advantage, which came after he and Haouas departed. AFP via Getty Images Ratings: France vs England 2. Julien Marchand – 7 Accurate throwing in the lineout came unstuck midway through the second half as England started to pick him off, but he contributed well with ball in hand. AFP via Getty Images Ratings: France vs England 3. Mohamed Haouas – 7 Another who impressed on debut as he stood up to the challenge int he set-piece well. Getty Images Ratings: France vs England 4. Bernard Le Roux – 7 Made an outstanding 22 tackles to lead the charts as their defensive general. AFP via Getty Images Ratings: France vs England 5. Paul Willemse – 7 Like his second-row partner, it was his defensive effort that really stood out. AFP via Getty Images Ratings: France vs England 6. Francois Cros – 7 Dovetailed beautifully with Ollivon to cause problems for England at the breakdown. EPA Ratings: France vs England 7. Charles Ollivon – 9 Got himself into good supporting positions and was duly rewarded with two tries on his first outing as France captain. The ideal way to start his new reign as skipper. AFP via Getty Images Ratings: France vs England 8. Gregory Alldritt – 8 Another standout performer who claimed the man of the match award, Alldritt was a real nuisance over the ball and contributed well with ball in hand. EPA Ratings: France vs England England: 15. George Furbank – 5 Struggled badly on his first outing in what proved increasingly poor weather conditions. Knocked on a high ball and kicked a chip and chase effort needlessly. PA Ratings: France vs England 14. Jonny May – 8 One eye-catching take late in the first half was followed by a spectacular solo try in the second. AFP via Getty Images Ratings: France vs England 13. Manu Tuilagi - 5 One hard tackle on Thomas aside, he did nothing in the 16 minutes he was on the field before departing. AFP via Getty Images Ratings: France vs England 12. Owen Farrell – 5 Set the tone for England’s poor showing as he made a number of errors. His kicking for touch was good. Getty Images Ratings: France vs England 11. Elliot Daly – 5 Forced onto the back foot throughout as he received very little ball in attacking situations. AFP via Getty Images Ratings: France vs England 10. George Ford – 5 The more assured of England’s two midfield playmakers, but he couldn’t get much going outside him. PA Ratings: France vs England 9. Ben Youngs – 4 Off-colour from the get-go that makes you wonder whether it’s worth persisting with him at scrum-half. Missed two crucial tackles, the second on Rattez to allow him to score, and his box-kicking was wayward as he repeatedly kicked too long. Getty Images Ratings: France vs England 1. Joe Marler - 5 Sturdy enough in the scrum but just couldn’t get the edge needed to produce results from the set piece. The RFU Collection via Getty Ima Ratings: France vs England 2. Jamie George – 5 Had one of his throws picked off in the first half and was not able to make much of an impact carrying. Getty Images Ratings: France vs England 3. Kyle Sinckler – 5 Had two good runs that got England going forward but lacked that little something extra to make them clean breaks. Getty Images Ratings: France vs England 4. Maro Itoje – 4 At fault for the move that finished with Rattez’s try as he rushed out of defence to create the whole for Thomas. Lost his bearings when he ended up on the French side of the breakdown and conceded a needless penalty. AP Ratings: France vs England 5. Charlie Ewels – 4 Made little impact in the loose until he coughed up possession on the stroke of half-time, and replaced by George Kruis short of the hour mark. AFP via Getty Images Ratings: France vs England 6. Courtney Lawes – 5 Stole a lineout early in the second half that got England into a position where they should have scored from. The RFU Collection via Getty Ima Ratings: France vs England 7. Sam Underhill – 5 Beaten by Thomas in the lead up to the first try and he just looked half-a-yard off the pace set by the French pack. AFP via Getty Images Ratings: France vs England 8. Tom Curry – 5 Looked like a flanker playing at No 8, as he gave England pretty much no attacking threat from the base of the scrum. His defensive effort was up at his usual levels, but it brought little success. EPA

“I think he (Curry) can be a Rodney So’oialo type player. A mobile, hard running No 8 that has ball skills. We can't find another Billy so we won't go down that track – we will find a different sort of player.

“We want this team to be a great team. To do this we need to have the ambition to make players great players. Tom is one of those players we feel can be an absolutely outstanding No 8. But it will take time.”

Jones has included both Anthony Watson and Manu Tuilagi in the squad that will return to Pennyhill Park on Tuesday, but while England are confident that the former will be available against Scotland after missing out last weekend due to a calf injury, Jones is sweating on the fitness of wrecking-ball centre Tuilagi.

The results of an MRI scan on his injured groin – which forced the 28-year-old off the field in the 16th minute of Sunday’s encounter – should reveal on Tuesday the extent of the damage, with fears of a lengthy lay-off always intensified with the Leicester back given his previous injury record.

But despite the doubt surrounding Tuilagi’s participation in the Calcutta Cup, Jones has not drafted in any reinforcements, meaning Jonathan Joseph would be expected to come into the side if required and Ollie Devoto and Fraser Dingwall the alternative options currently in the squad. Jones could look to Elliot Daly to fill the No 13 shirt, though the Australian has not played the Saracens back in the centre before and alongside George Ford and Owen Farrell it would leave England seriously light in midfield. Joe Marchant would have been a likely option had he not agreed to join Super Rugby side the Blues for the season, ruling him out of England contention in the process.

Part of Jones’s thinking to not make widespread changes is that England have just six days between their loss in Paris and the trip to Edinburgh, which comes at another stadium with painful memories. England’s last trip there ended in a chastening 25-13 defeat that triggered their five-Test losing streak, but Jones does not expect any lingering aftereffects from the opening weekend when England run out at Murrayfield.

“I’ve only got six days so I’m not in a position to do that,” Jones said. “I won’t need to motivate them. They’ll be motivated themselves. You saw our response in the second half. Motivation is not a problem for us.”

Tuilagi injured his groin 16 minutes into the France defeat (AFP via Getty) (AFP via Getty Images)

Watson’s availability would likely see the Bath flyer make his return at full-back, replacing last weekend’s debutant George Furbank after he struggled to settle at the Stade de France. Jones launched a passionate defence of the international rookie, claiming that he is more than happy to put an arm around his shoulder if necessary despite his tough-love reputation.

“I think coaching is about that mate, I think coaching is about helping players get better,” Jones said. “What do you think I’m going to do? Say ‘George you’re absolute rubbish get out of here, go back to Northampton, work in the shoe factory?’

“What am I going to say to him mate? Course I’m going to help him become a better player. And I thought he was good today.”

England squad vs Scotland

Forwards

Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), Tom Dunn (Bath Rugby), Ben Earl (Saracens), Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby), Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers), Jamie George (Saracens), Ted Hill (Worcester Warriors), Maro Itoje (Saracens), George Kruis (Saracens), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Alex Moon (Northampton Saints), Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins), Will Stuart (Bath Rugby), Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs)

Backs

Elliot Daly (Saracens) Ollie Devoto (Exeter Chiefs), Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Leicester Tigers), George Furbank (Northampton Saints), Willi Heinz (Gloucester Rugby), Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby), Jonny May (Leicester Tigers), Ollie Thorley (Gloucester Rugby), Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers), Jacob Umaga (Wasps), Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)

Apprentice player