Eddie Jones rugby news LIVE: England coach sacked with Steve Borthwick lined up as replacement
The RFU told the England coach his fate this morning and means they will need to appoint a new man nine months before the World Cup
Eddie Jones has been sacked as the head coach of England less than a year out from the 2023 Rugby World Cup, with Leicester Tigers head coach Steve Borthwick set to replace him.
The Rugby Football Union decided to part ways with the Australian after seven years in charge, following a review of England’s dismal autumn results. An RFU statement confirmed the news, saying: “Following a review of the Autumn, Eddie Jones has been dismissed from the position of England Men’s Head Coach. In the interim, Richard Cockerill will take over the day to day running of the men’s performance team.”
Jones has recorded the best win rate of any England head coach but results had taken a turn as they entered the final year of the World Cup cycle. The dismissal is not without precedent as, in 2006 - just a year before the World Cup - Andy Robinson was relieved of his duties after autumn losses to New Zealand, Argentina and South Africa, with England going on to make the final of the following’s year’s global showpiece.
The current version of England were booed off following their 27-13 defeat to South Africa last month, their sixth loss of 2022, and the team have recorded their worst set of results since 2008 this year. It is now expected that Borthwick will take the helm with just nine months until the World Cup. A former England captain in his playing days, Borthwick led Tigers to the Gallagher Premiership title last season after taking over the role in 2020, having served as England’s forwards coach under Jones for five years from 2015.
Follow reaction to Jones’s sacking with our live blog below:
CONFIRMED: Eddie Jones sacked by England
It’s now official - Eddie Jones has been sacked as England coach. The RFU released a statement confirming what we already knew.
Steve Borthwick must be given full support and bring Kevin Sinfield with him, says Woodward
In his latest column for the Daily Mail, Clive Woodward says that if Steve Borthwick does take over from Jones, he should be given full support - and must bring Kevin Sinfield with him.
“If it is Steve Borthwick who comes in then we’ve all got to get behind him and I wish him all the best,” wrote Woodward. “I hope they don’t just pick him because he’s an Englishman. I hope they pick him because they think he’s the best coach in the world.
“I knew Borthwick as a player and he must be given the full support and resources to ensure there are no excuses — the one thing for sure is the media bandwagon around Jones will disappear with Steve — what you see is what you get and that alone will be a breath of fresh air. I have no doubt every single English player will look forward to working with him and his team.
“He must be allowed to bring in his own coaching team, and if I was him I would definitely bring Kevin Sinfield over from Leicester. He’s the only defence coach out there who can soften the blow of missing out on Shaun Edwards.”
Eddie Jones won’t be ‘remembered too kindly', says Clive Woodward
Clive Woodward has once again slammed Eddie Jones in his latest column for the Daily Mail.
Woodward - still the only man to lead England to World Cup glory, back in 2003 - said Jones had paid the price for focusing on the 2023 global showpiece at the expense of everything else.
“He’s a much better coach than he has shown over the past three years. He is a shadow of the Jones I competed with and whose first years with England were so successful and rightfully applauded,” Woodward wrote.
“He became completely focused on the 2023 World Cup and that was a costly error. International rugby is very simple: focus everything on the next game with absolutely zero distractions. The fans who pump the money into the sport didn’t buy his hype.
“He lost the focus of simply winning the next game and allowed himself to get distracted by the media, former players, writing books and everything else.
“It was interesting to hear Arsene Wenger talk about Germany losing games at the football World Cup because they were distracted by political protests. They were not the only ones who took their eye off the ball.
“What will Jones’s legacy be? The semi-final victory over New Zealand at the 2019 World Cup was his best performance but unfortunately, he will be remembered for the misguided rhetoric and unfulfilled promises. I don’t think history will remember this period of English rugby too kindly.”
Eddie Jones’ tenure as England head coach has run its course, says Ugo Monye
Ugo Monye believes Eddie Jones’ time as England head coach has “run its course” and urges the RFU to be “bold” as they investigate a disheartening autumn.
“They’ve regressed since 2019,” former red rose wing Monye told the BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly podcast. “We’ve had this team in transition for quite a while now and after being in camp for four or five weeks it’s still not clear how they want to play with five competitive matches to go before the World Cup.
“I would like to see the RFU be bold. They have fiercely backed this person, it’s been a tempestuous seven years. We’ve had as many highs on the pitch as lows. I feel that to a certain extent that this relationship has maybe run its course at this point, I really do.
“If you look back at the last couple of years, for a little while there has been a fragility to the direction of travel of this team, or certainly it’s been called into question on more occasions than you’d expect from a team in the top five of the world rankings. The moment you start losing the faith of the fans it becomes very difficult and that’s the spot we’re in right now.
“It feels like – and Eddie said it – that this was a watershed Autumn Nations Series. I think he hoped it would be in a positive sense, but it’s totally flipped on its head and I absolutely agree that it’s that watershed moment and England need to figure out if they stick or twist.”
England have left it too late to sack Eddie Jones before World Cup, says South Africa’s Handre Pollard
Handre Pollard believes England have left it too late to sack Eddie Jones after recalling it took Rassie Erasmus over a year to transform South Africa into World Cup winners.
Jones’ position is in doubt following a disastrous autumn that produced only one win in four Tests, completing England’s worst year since 2008, and a decision on the head coach’s future is due from the Rugby Football Union next month.
The RFU must decide whether to stay loyal to Jones despite results or to replace him knowing the World Cup opener against Argentina is just nine Tests and 10 months away.
South Africa were in a similarly precarious position when Erasmus took over in March 2018 yet by the end of the following year he had turned them into global champions.
Erasmus’ Springboks revival is frequently held up as an example of how a nation can be successful at a World Cup even with a late change of coach but Pollard, their fly-half general, insists the revolution did not happen overnight.
England have left it too late to sack Jones before World Cup, says Pollard
A decision on the head coach’s future is due from the Rugby Football Union next month.
Matt Giteau claims sacking Eddie Jones would be a ‘big mistake'
The sentiment isn’t all universally anti-Jones.
Former Australia international Matt Giteau believes England will be making a “big mistake” if they get rid of his countryman, claiming it would be the “silliest thing they could do.”
Eddie Jones hits back at ‘sad’ Sir Clive Woodward over England criticism
Eddie Jones has hit back at “sad” critic Sir Clive Woodward and insisted he will leave England in a good shape when he eventually departs.
Jones is under pressure after he watched England produce a dismal autumn to complete the nation’s worst year since 2008 and the Rugby Football Union is now conducting a review, which will inevitably decide if Jones continues until next year’s World Cup as planned or leaves his post 12 months earlier.
RFU chief Bill Sweeney admitted “results are not where we expect them to be” and Woodward, who masterminded England’s solitary World Cup win 19 years ago, was fierce in his criticism of Jones following the autumn-concluding loss to South Africa – labelling rugby in this country as a shambles and insisting the weekend defeat was “one of the most depressing games I’ve seen at HQ.”
“I feel sad for him (Woodward). If that is the best thing he has to do in his life, then he hasn’t a lot to do,” Jones told Men’s Health UK.
“I’m 62 now and I think in pure coaching terms I am coaching better than I ever have. Results aren’t always perfect, but I’m happy with how I have been coaching.
“After this, I want to do something really meaningful. I’ve enjoyed England a lot, it was a bit of a rescue job at the start, now rebuilding, and I am confident I will leave things in good shape.”
Jones may have already learned his fate
It is understood that Eddie Jones was apparently called to Twickenham to find out his fate at 9.30am this morning, so the Australian may already know whether his tenure is at an end or not.
The Rugby Football Union’s review of a dismal set of autumn internationals - where England’s only victory came again Japan - is understood to have concluded on Monday, with the RFU board now ready to ratify its decision.
The 62-year-old Australian is set to be sacked after seven years in charge despite there only being 10 months until the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Wayne Pivac sacked as Wales turn to Warren Gatland
Wayne Pivac has been sacked as head coach of Wales, who turn to Warren Gatland in a sensational return for the New Zealander less than a year before the 2023 World Cup.
Pivac’s time with Wales comes to an end after just three wins in 2022, including damaging defeats to both Italy and Georgia at home.
And now Gatland is back on a long-term deal to the 2027 World Cup in Australia.
“This is an opportunity to achieve something with a talented group of players in a country so passionate about rugby,” Gatland said, in a statement released by the WRU. “Our immediate priority is obviously the 2023 Guinness Six Nations and next year’s Rugby World Cup.”
Wayne Pivac sacked as Wales turn to Warren Gatland
The New Zealander was in charge between 2007-2019 and returns ahead of next year’s World Cup
Who could replace Jones? - Scott Robertson
The other name that has been intermittently linked to the England job is Scott ‘Razor’ Robertson - coach of New Zealand side, the Crusaders.
He has had a remarkable run of success with the Crusaders since taking charge a little over five years ago - leading them to Super Rugby glory in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022 as well as Super Rugby Aotearoa titles (when the Covid pandemic limited travel) in 2020 and 2021.
The Kiwi is seen as a future All Blacks coach if he doesn’t get the England role and has some international experience after coaching New Zealand Under-20s to victory at the 2015 World Rugby Under 20 Championship in Italy, while he also took charge of the BArbarians during their games this autumn.
Interestingly, ‘Razor’ is also known for his post-match breakdancing celebrations, certainly something you could never accuse Jones of doing...
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