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Confirmed - Eddie Jones has been sacked by the RFU

Eddie Jones on the field prior to England's Test with Argentina. Photo by Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images

The Rugby Football Union have confirmed that they have sacked Eddie Jones as England head coach after presiding over the national team’s worst year since 2008.

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Jones oversaw a disappointing 2022 consisting of six defeats, a draw and five wins and ending with a comprehensive loss to South Africa on November 26.

The RFU’s review of a dismal Autumn Nations Series concluded on Monday and the board are now ready to ratify its decision.

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An RFU statement reads:

“The Rugby Football Union (RFU) will now conclude the long-term work it has been undertaking on coach succession planning with changes set to be announced in the near future. In the interim, Richard Cockerill will take over the day to day running of the men’s performance team.”

“It is important to recognise the huge contribution Eddie has made to English rugby, winning three Six Nations Championships, one Grand Slam and taking us to a Rugby World Cup Final,” said RFU CEO, Bill Sweeney.

“He has the highest win ratio of any previous England head coach and has helped develop the leadership skills of many players and coaches. I am grateful to Eddie for all he has done for England across many areas of the game and the professional way in which he has approached reviewing the performance of the team. He has provided the panel with astute insight and meaningful lessons that will support the team performance going forward.”

The statement continued: “During his time in charge Jones steered England to three Six Nations titles, including a Grand Slam in 2016, two series wins in Australia, an unbeaten run of 18 matches, an Autumn Nations Cup, and a Rugby World Cup final in Japan.”

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“I am pleased with much that we have achieved as an England team and I look forward to watching the team’s performance in the future,” said Jones. “Many of the players and I will no doubt keep in touch and I wish them all well in their future careers.”

RFU Chair, Tom Ilube said: “The independent review panel regularly updates board on its discussions and findings.  We are fully supportive of its process and recommendations.”

The review panel has regularly presented to the board during its investigation into what went wrong during an autumn that opened with defeat to Argentina, produced a solitary victory over Japan and a draw with New Zealand before signing off with an abject collapse against the Springboks.

With the World Cup in France looming, England have left it late to change their coach, yet the RFU felt it has no alternative but to act.

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And that could open the door for 43-year-old Cumbrian Steve Borthwick, who skippered England during a 57-cap England career.

He was appointed Leicester boss in 2020, and has overseen a startling transformation in the Tigers’ fortunes, highlighted by a Gallagher Premiership title triumph last season.

additional reporting PA

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Comments

7 Comments
A
Antonia 959 days ago

He was leaving after the world cup anyway. He was building a team that could win the world cup and he wasn't going to show his hand until the quarter finals at least. He's been to at least 3 world cups, 2 of which he got to the final and the other one he masterminded one of the biggest world cup upsets ever (Brighton miracle).

He was quietly pioneering a new attacking strategy which he didn't want the players to use until they needed to (and when you're trying to win a world cup, looking like the underdogs is great).

The media have put huge pressure on the RFU to dismiss him (maybe because they resented how little he respected them?), Plus it was an easy narrative to continue. A lot of the pressure came from Clive Woodward who coached England to victory in 2003 before being kicked out as lions coach shortly afterwards. The media always found fault in whoever was picked (as always, they would rather players be picked on the form they witnessed - look at Danny care for example...they moaned about him coming back for ever and when he did they said he was rubbish...same with wanting freeman to go straight back into the starting xv after being out injured for months (which is a big no no when you have no game time)

I think the RFU were weak in listening to all that. The autumn wasn't all that bad - yes they lost badly to a good Argentinan side and thrashed a second tier nation before the NZ game where individual errors stopped them from executing a game plan until the last 15 minutes where they showed how effective the new attacking strategy is and executed it with an incredible ruthlessness (which the media thought was great) until the next week when they lost for a lot of reasons (scrum, discipline, individual errors, injuries, a better side cus guys this is sport and Jones took the pressure off the players who weren't performing and onto himself)

To kick out a coach so near to a world cup is abysmal. Co captain Genge said last week that he hadnt heard of any discontent among the players when told that some pundit had heard players weren't happy. Unless Genge was lying, it seems that the RFU ignored players opinions and instead chose to satisfy the media and give in to the pressure.

And to do it without having a new coach lined up is atrocious. Not saying we'll do a 2015 but it's made the job somewhat harder for the players. Unfairly.

f
fl 959 days ago

the RFU are cowards

S
SM 959 days ago

The RFU is set to go one step further and will announce the first female head coach of England - It had to happen and can only increase England's chances with the ref's at next years world cup.

B
Ben 959 days ago

Patience is a virtue lost on our societies these days....

r
rs 959 days ago

well that's fucking stupid

A
Antonia 959 days ago

Absolutely ridiculous.

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P
PL 1 hour ago
Lions Tour Aussie takes: Bigger is better, the stars who failed to fire

I find it interesting that journalists who have done nothing in rugby comment on selections & coaching like they are experts

Concussive injury’s will remove insurance cover from the game unless their is strict application of the laws designed to remove MND Parkinson’s and CTE from the game


Head on head I saw red to Adam Coleman as tackler for Irish while unconscious on a stretcher - concussions occur without twitching on the ground or the wobbly boot - I know I had maybe 20 from rugby


The officiating of last feet is non existent

The lack of effective wrap by Lions front rower & that decision had a close relationship with ordure in a toilet

A head on head tackle red for Coleman not even penalty lead to a try in a phase or 2


Powys v Evans lead to a £> 2 mill verdict against the ref personally special leveraged to Hiuse of Lords

Refs will stop reffing with no insurance then no game


About 5 years ago 4 or 5 French colts died from head hits in elite club games - that led to below sternum law - hamlets honoured in breach not observance

Last feet non existent - enforcement favour flowing rugby nor lions meat grinder forwards get momentum and puck & drive NZ Vowel noise


The UK Class Action could be very well be lost WRC will try every dirty trick in case they already used dial a neuros to argue the unarguable is law gossip


I reffed ref coached & assessed for ruffly 17 seasons


The application of laws is like a zig zag on speed

Line out laws not enforced scrums tight pulling loose down one side mirror on other side elbow pointing to ground stretch marks on jersey

Der moment the refs need to go Soec Savers

My bet unless they stop lack of intestinal fortitude game management


Yellow every time head contact or above sternum


Needs sterner GMGs material impact removed set piece caterpillar remove

Last feet to last feet + 1 m


When I reffed I kept them well apart - hated me till they got over yellow and they actually had fun & complemented me post game backs had room and pick and drive had momentum


As for intentional foul play like tackle in air auto red no replacement 100,000 fine player 250,000 club


Treble it for international 26 week suspension & it’s disappear over night

25 were scrum for dissent


Penalty all this rubbish shots at opponents after error


All the s.ite would disappear


The pathetic unsportsmanlike behaviour would lead to standards


Remember Les Boyd’s penalty re Brohman -if that is the way we treat foul play but while foul play with potential serious injury with a feather duster like we are the game is destined to no insurance following that no refs cause would you risk bankruptcy like Powys v Evans

1 Go to comments
S
Soliloquin 2 hours ago
Why New Zealand learned more from their July series than France

For Fischer, many people in France are still doubting him - it’s the first time he has a full season (31 games). Before, he was always injured at some point. He’s 27, so not the youngest, and you have a younger Boudehent or Jégou behind.

His physicality is incredible, but he didn’t prove he’s got hands. He just proved he was able to defend like a beast.

But you know, even Cros has improved his handling skills lately, so it’s never too late!

And he will play the Champions Cup with a solid Bayonne side, so let’s see!


I don’t agree with ‘only Fischer’: Brennan proved he’s a great 4/7 utility player, and Galthié likes those very much (Woki or Flament). He’s 23, playing for Toulouse with high concurrence, so the prospect is good. I rate him higher than Auradou, who had a few games in the 6 Nations.

For Depoortère, he had a more silent season than the previous one - injured at the worst moment during the Autumn Tests series - but came back strong with a Champions Cup and a solid partnership with Moefana. What could save him would be to start playing as a 12 when Moefana isn’t there, bulking up and become the new Jauzion.

But he’s 22 and an incredible talent at 13. His height makes me think he had more potential than your fan favorite Costes or the utility player that is Gailleton.


As for Montagne or Mallez, with the lack of quality in props, they could find a spot!

Especially Mallez who’s got a good spot to get behind Baille at Toulouse. Neti isn’t the youngest and hasn’t an international level.


And again, as Ugo Mola said, you never play with your best team.

So 30-32 player is more of a 38-40, so you need back-ups.

France knows very well how useful they can be during RWCs.

237 Go to comments
S
Soliloquin 3 hours ago
Why New Zealand learned more from their July series than France

Hastoy was a good prospect before the 2023 RWC, he was the fly-half who led La Rochelle to the victory in the Champions Cup final in Dublin against Leinster.

But he made it to the squad only because Ntamack got his ACL.

He played against Uruguay, which a terribly poor game by the French side, and since then he declined a bit, alongside his club.

Under the pressure of Reus and West at 10, he regained some credit at the end of the season (among all a drop at the 81st minute of a game).

He’s quite good everywhere, but not outstanding.

He doesn’t have the nerves, the defense and the tactical brain of Ntamack, the leadership and the creativity of Ramos or the exceptional attacking skills of Jalibert.


I really hope that:

-Ntamack will get his knee back. The surgery went well. He wasn’t the most elusive player in the world, but he was capable of amazing rushes like the one against NZ in 2021 or the Brennus-winning try in 2023.

-Jalibert will continue to improve his defense. He started working hard since March (after his defensive disaster against England) with a XIII specialist, and I’ve seen great moments, especially against Ntamack in the SF of the Champions Cup. It’s never too late. And it would be a great signal for Galthié.

-Hastoy will build up his partnership with Le Garrec, that La Rochelle will start a new phase with them and Niniashvili, Alldritt, Atonio, Boudehent, Jegou, Bosmorin, Bourgarit, Nowell, Wardi, Daunivucu, Kaddouri, Pacôme…

237 Go to comments
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