Former Australia coach Eddie Jones admits the English Premiership will pose the biggest challenge of his illustrious career.

The domestic rugby season kicks-off this weekend and Jones will get his first taste of life with his new club Saracens against Harlequins on Saturday.

Jones arrives at Vicarage Road with an enviable CV after leading Australia to the 2003 World Cup final, then guiding South Africa towards World Cup victory last year in the support role of technical adviser.

The 48-year-old also masterminded Canberra-based ACT Brumbies' first Super 12 title in 2001, but Jones' managerial skills and coaching expertise now face another significant examination.

Saracens haven't won a major trophy since 1998 so Jones, who succeeds fellow Australian Alan Gaffney, faces a massive task to transform the perennial under-achievers.

Jones may find the gruelling demands of a Premiership campaign which won't end until May 16 if Saracens reach their first grand final, the most demanding part of his rugby director role.

"I've never done a season of this length before in my coaching career, so it is a lot different," Jones said.

"We have spent a lot of time planning in terms of breaking the season up into particular stages, so I am pretty confident we've planned well.

"What we have also got to do is monitor the work-rate, keep the players fresh and keep them enthusiastic.

"Saracens are an interesting club. They have moved around a fair bit and haven't won too many trophies, but what we are trying to do is put together a club that is sustainably successful.

"I don't know how clubs judge their season in England - I am still getting to grips with it - but you obviously get a deflated feeling when you don't finish in the top six for Heineken Cup qualification the following season."

While Jones concentrates on turning Saracens into serious challengers, Gloucester are focused on finally ending a trophy drought that grows more painful by the year.

For the third time in six seasons since the play-offs were introduced, Gloucester finished top of the table last season, yet had no cause for celebration when the silverware was handed out.

After losing two grand finals at Twickenham to Wasps in 2003 and Leicester 2007, Dean Ryan's side lost to eventual champions Leicester in the semi-finals.

Gloucester and England wing James Simpson-Daniel is growing tired of his side's inability to win the big games and is determined to make amends this year.

"I imagine people will be writing that we have a good chance, but we won't win anything because we can't compete with the best sides on the day," he said.

"It is self-inflicted and extremely disappointing. I know it is pointing out the obvious, but we have got to learn from it - that is vital. We did things in that Leicester game we hadn't done all season.

"It is such small lines between the whole success and failure thing. We all know that, and what happened at the end of last season has reinforced it even more."

The first weekend of the season sees the so-called ELVs (Experimental Law Variations) come into play and Leicester captain Martin Corry is unimpressed.

"After playing with them, the majority of them make a slight alteration and don't make a huge difference," he said.

"There's a couple that don't change the way we play but the difference isn't as marked as I thought it would be.

"Should they have brought the rules in? No. The Guinness Premiership and Heineken Cup are great brands of rugby."

Fixtures

Saturday

London Irish v Wasps (1330GMT)

Saracens v Harlequins (1600GMT)

Sunday

Bristol v Bath (140GMT)

Gloucester v Leicester (1500GMT)

Newcastle v Sale (1400GMT)

Northampton v Worcester (1230GMT)

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