Eddie Jones has been sacked as head coach of England rugby with immediate effect. The Australian was summoned to a meeting at Twickenham on Tuesday morning and informed that his seven-year tenure in charge of the national team had been brought to an end after a disappointing run of results this year.
It’s a big call from the Rugby Football Union just nine months before next year’s Rugby World Cup kicks off in France. Leicester’s Steve Borthwick remains the frontrunner to replace Jones, 62, but for now forwards coach Richard Cockerill has been put in day-to-day charge in a caretaker role.
In a statement, RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney said: “It is important to recognize the great contribution Eddie has made to English rugby, winning three Six Nations Championships, a Grand Slam and leading us to a final of the Rugby World Cup.
Quick Guide
How do I sign up for breaking sports news alerts?
show
- Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play Store on Android by searching for “The Guardian”.
- If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you have the latest version.
- In the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.
- Turn on sports notifications.
Thanks for your comments.
“He has the highest win ratio of any previous England manager and has helped develop the leadership skills of many players and managers. I am grateful to Eddie for all he has done for England in many areas of the game and the professional way in which he has approached reviewing the team’s performance. He has provided the panel with astute insight and meaningful lessons that will support the team’s performance going forward.”
Jones, who boasted a 73% win rate in charge of England, higher than any other Red Rose head coach, including World Cup-winning guru Sir Clive Woodward, said he would leave with a degree of satisfaction with what England achieved during his watch. “I’m pleased with how much we’ve achieved as an England team and look forward to seeing the team perform in the future. Many of the players and I will no doubt keep in touch and I wish them all the best in their future career”.
Under Jones, England reached the 2019 World Cup final and won three Six Nations titles, including a Grand Slam in 2016, his first year in charge. They also equaled New Zealand’s record 18 consecutive Test wins in 2017, but haven’t been as successful since then. This year England have endured their worst run of results since 2008, losing six, drawing one and winning five of their 12 Test matches in 2022. They managed just one win from their four autumn Tests.
The decision to sack Jones was made by the RFU board on Tuesday. Speaking about the decision, RFU chairman Tom Ilube said: “The independent review committee regularly updates the board on its discussions and findings. We fully support its process and recommendations.”
In March, following England’s disappointing Six Nations campaign, the RFU had backed Jones, saying it was “encouraged by the solid progress the team has made”. That optimism has not been shared by supporters, with a chorus of Twickenham fans cheering the 27-13 defeat by South Africa last month.
The latest rugby news and analysis, plus all the action of the week reviewed
Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertisements and content funded by third parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
With Warren Gatland agreeing to return to Wales following Wayne Pivac’s abrupt sacking on Monday, the RFU say their future coaching set-up will be confirmed “in the near future”. England begin their 2023 Six Nations campaign with a Calcutta Cup clash against Scotland at Twickenham on February 4.
Not everyone is convinced that sending Jones off is a wise move, with former Wallaby international Matt Giteau describing it on Twitter as “the dumbest thing they could do to the English rugby team” and a “big mistake”.