Eddie Jones Sacked by England, leaving the squad nine months before the Rugby World Cup without a head coach. Richard Cockerill, the team’s forwards coach, will take over as interim manager. Jones leaves after a disastrous year in which he won just five of his twelve Test matches.
In his seven years as coach, the 62-year-old won three Six Nations championships and guided the group to the 2019 World Cup final, where they were defeated by South Africa.
Jones was fired after a review of England’s underwhelming autumn campaign, which included just one victory in four games.
The Australian stated, “I am delighted with much of what we have accomplished as an England squad and I am looking forward to seeing the team’s performance in the future.
“I will definitely stay in touch with many of the players, and I wish them all the best in their future endeavors,” the athlete said.
Bill Sweeney, CEO of the Rugby Football Union, thanked Jones for his “great contribution” to English rugby.
According to Sweeney, “He has the highest win percentage of any former England head coach and has assisted in the development of numerous players’ and coaches’ leadership abilities.”
“I am grateful to Eddie for everything he has done for England in a variety of aspects of the game, as well as for the professional manner in which he has gone about analyzing the team’s performance.
He gave the panel shrewd insight and valuable lessons that would help the team perform well in the future.
The RFU stated that a full-time appointment will “set to be announced in the near future” and “will now end the long-term work it has been working on coach succession planning.”
On February 4, 2023, England will host Scotland in the opening round of the Six Nations. France is hosting the World Cup, which begins in September.
| England’s best-performing men’s coaches (Test win percentage) | |
|---|---|
| Eddie Jones (2016-2022) | 73% |
| Jack Rowell (1994-1997) | 72% |
| Geoff Cooke (1988-1994) | 71% |
| Sir Clive Woodward (1997-2004) | 71% |
| Mike Davis (1979-1982) | 63% |
| Stuart Lancaster (2012-2015) | 61% |
Borthwick is among the contenders to take over
RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney stated earlier this month that another foreign coach is a possibility, despite the organization’s initial desire that Jones’ successor would be an English coach.
However, Warren Gatland, who has coached the British and Irish Lions on their past three tours, returned to Wales on Monday. Former Ireland fly-half Ronan O’Gara, head coach of French club La Rochelle, disqualified himself from consideration.
The most likely domestic candidate is Leicester’s Steve Borthwick, who under Jones served as England’s forward’s coach from 2016 to 2019. Sale’s Alex Sanderson is a backup choice.
After England’s 2015 home World Cup pool-stage exit, Jones was appointed manager, and his squad won its first 17 games.
During that stretch, he achieved a Grand Slam in his debut Six Nations campaign, successfully defended his title, and defeated the Wallabies in Australia in a first-ever series.
In the 2019 World Cup semifinal, his team defeated the two-time defending winners New Zealand, but in the championship game, South Africa outplayed them.
A dismal run of form has crushed Jones’ ambitions of leading England to a second World Cup.
In the fall, England only won one game—a convincing triumph over Japan—out of four Test matches, and after their final loss to South Africa, some spectators heckled them.
A day later, the RFU started an investigation because the results “were not what we expected them to be.”
However, Jones leaves his position as England with a higher percentage of Test victories (73%) than any of his predecessors.
? OFFICIAL: Eddie Jones has been sacked as England head coach. pic.twitter.com/djGFHQ5ofh
— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) December 6, 2022
Analysis
With considerable fanfare, Eddie Jones came to Twickenham at the end of 2015 as England’s first foreign coach.
His administration got off to a fantastic start with 17 straight victories and two Six Nations titles, and in 2019 Jones almost completed the remarkable turnaround when his team lost in the World Cup final despite what was arguably England’s best performance ever in the semi-final demolition of New Zealand.
However, since that night in Yokohama, England has suffered, and despite much talk of transition and improvement. This year’s results show a team that is stagnating or even regressing; the coach’s and Union’s obsession with the World Cup is costing them.
Richard Cockerill will serve as Jones’ interim, the long-term hiring of Steve from Leicester is a matter of when not if.
If Eddie Jones gets sacked it would have to be the silliest thing they could do to the English rugby team. He plans & plans & plans years in advance for this competition. It’s the one competition that he has got consistently right time and time again. Big mistake imo ???♂️
— Matt Giteau ?? (@giteau_rugby) December 6, 2022
