Sweeney demands discipline from card-happy England

England must improve their discipline given they are the second-best side in the world when they have 15 players on the pitch, says Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney.

During a miserable Six Nations campaign, England received eight yellow cards and one red across five matches, meaning they played 118 minutes - almost a game and a half of rugby - at less than a full complement.

They finished the 45-21 defeat by South Africa in July with 13 men after yellow cards for Tommy Freeman and Guy Pepper, while four second-half sin-binnings contributed to Argentina coming close to a successful fightback a fortnight later.