As one of those modern sportsmen who seeks to generate a sense of grievance from which to feed James Haskell was in vindicated mode on Saturday evening.

“Haters gonna hate and players gonna play. Great to play with these boys today. Always such an honour to pull on that white shirt. Loads to work on and lots to improve. However always appreciate and enjoy your wins,” he messaged on Instagram.

That was after he had arrived in the media mixed zone eager to make some sort of point to those unidentified haters about the way they had wronged him and his colleagues following their World Cup disaster a few months earlier, when they were perceived to have let down the host nation.

“It was important for some guys in the room… things were said about us after the World Cup which weren’t true and we wanted to show what we could do,” he said, unprompted, in response to a question asking him to assess the team’s performance.

When one of the more respected English sportswriters then accepted the clear invitation to ask what had generated such indignation, he seized his chance to sneer.

“Oh mate, don’t worry about that, it’s all in the past now mate, we’re all about positives moving forward you know,” he responded in a tone which seemed designed to patronise.

Obnoxious as that came across it essentially served to reinforce a message delivered a few moments earlier by England’s new coach, serving also to demonstrate both Eddie Jones’ capacity to identify the strengths and weaknesses of those available to him and his recognition of the need to find ways of accommodating different characters who can make a contribution.

“Haskell brings to the team a lot of things that maybe people don’t see,” the coach had observed.

“He’s a real character, he’s got a bit of a lad about him and he adds to the team. I know some people don’t like him, but I reckon he’s terrific.”

To Haskell’s credit it seems that he, too, has quickly worked out what the latest man brought in to revive the fortunes of the world’s best resourced rugby international team is about.

“I think there was a bit of pressure on us to perform,” the flanker acknowledged.

“Eddie’s been very clear in what he wants. He always has some smiles as well, but we know he’s a serious guy and no-one wants to be on the wrong side of him.”

What has been evident in his public performances at least is that unlike his Scottish counterpart - whose default demeanour bears comparison with one of JK Rowling’s dementors as he sucks the enthusiasm from the room - Jones is always looking for ways to inject energy into those around him.

On a day that saw Scotland suffer a 16th opening day defeat in 17 Six Nations Championships and a record – surpassing that of the hapless Matt Williams in 2004/05 – eighth successive defeat in the competition, his arrival seems to have instantly revived an England squad that was stunned by its own ineptitude back in October.

He has done it by teasing and goading observers and opponents while, it seems, seeking the best ways to motivate individuals to contribute to the collective rather than talk in the sort of bland, cliched generalisations that seem to be the stock in trade of Scotland coach Vern Cotter.

That was evident on Saturday in the way Jones mocked past suggestions that Billy Vunipola, England’s No.8 who deservedly won the man-of-the-match award, was too slow for his position and he said that he has, every day, been telling the Australian-born son of a former Tonga captain, who ended Saturday’s match playing alongside his New Zealand-born brother, how good he can be.

“I think every player needs to have a dream,” said Jones.

“As a coach one of your jobs is to give them dreams. I don’t want him to be the best No.8 in the Premiership, I want him to be the best No.8 in the world and he can do that.”

He was in similar vein when acknowledging the response of another of those who has come in for criticism following the World Cup failure.

“At the World Cup everyone was tipping England to do well on the back of Dan Cole being the premier tighthead prop in the world,” Jones noted.

“At the end of the day he didn’t have a good World Cup did he? But I’ve seen him over the last four or five weeks with Leicester and he really improved his performance with every game.

“He’s come into camp with an outstanding attitude and every session he gets a little bit better. I think he’s back on the road to becoming the premier tighthead prop in the world.”

After a single match it is too early to say whether Jones has the answers to England’s problems but with the prospect of generating the sort of early momentum that can be crucial in this tournament, he has made a promising start.

Warned by Cotter that he would have his eyes opened by the intensity of the Six Nations Championship, he is clearly revelling in it and is already one up on his fellow antipodean in terms of matches won in this competition, as well as Calcutta Cup successes.

In describing his approach ‘pragmatism’ is something of a Jones byword and, by comparison with the nonsense talked in Scotland ahead of the World Cup about winning that tournament being a realistic target with a squad that had won five of its previous 30 Six Nations matches, he seems to understand how aspiration properly relates to strategy.

“The players have either got to aspire to be the best in Europe or the best in the world,” said Jones.

“If we do that we’re going to be the most dominant team in Europe and then we can dream about being the most dominant in the world.”

In terms of building his English rugby empire this colonial boy is, of course, entitled to point out the relevance of next week’s venue since no such success can be built in a day, but he would seem justified in feeling that some excellent groundwork has been laid in a mere fortnight.