Eddie Jones has challenged Tom Curry, the England back-rower, to cut out the occasional “4/10 or 5/10 game” and become more consistent to establish himself as one of the best players in the world.

Curry, who will start among Sale Sharks’ replacements against Ospreys on Sunday as his club aims to qualify for the knockout stages of the European Champions Cup, is one of the more established figures in among Jones’ Six Nations squad.

The 23-year-old acted as one of England’s designated vice-captains over an encouraging autumn that yielded victories over Tonga, Australia and South Africa. Jones picked him to start at No 8 for each of those fixtures and explained that Curry’s versatility could mean a switch back to his more familiar position of openside flanker over the coming weeks.

“I think he’s going to be one of the best players in the world by the World Cup in 2023,” said the England head coach of Curry. “He’s got the ability to play seven, eight or six. He’s a George Smith-type player that can play any of those positions really well and adjusts his game accordingly.

“The differences between seven and eight in terms of general play is so insignificant now we don’t really talk about it. Obviously, there are some set-piece responsibilities and he’s learning how to play eight better. Seven is probably his preferred position and, if it suits the team and suits the way we want to play, then we will play him at seven.”

“It is always about consistency,” added Jones, when asked what Curry would need to do to be regarded among the world’s best by the next World Cup.

“The great players are consistently 7/10. They never drop below 7/10. Occasionally they have an eight or nine but they are consistently 7/10, so they are always adding value to the team. [Curry] occasionally has a 4/10 game or a 5/10 game, and the thing for him is consistency.”