Eddie Jones named England coach: Former Japan and Australia boss joins England on four-year deal to replace Stuart Lancaster
Jones replaces Lancaster after the RFU negotiated a buy-out from his contract with the Stormers
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Your support makes all the difference.Eddie Jones has been named as the new England rugby head coach, replacing Stuart Lancaster on a four-year contract that runs until the next Rugby World Cup in 2016.
The news was confirmed early on Friday morning, with the Rugby Football Union negotiating a compensation deal with Super Rugby side the Stormers to buy Jones out of the contract he took up barely a week ago. The fee is thought to be in the region of £100,000.
In a statement released by the RFU, Jones said: “Firstly my thanks must go to Rob Wagner and everyone at Western Province Rugby for understanding my decision and allowing me to return to the international stage so quickly," said Jones.
"The opportunity to take the reins in, possibly, the world’s most high profile international rugby job doesn’t come along every day however, and I feel fortunate to be given the opportunity.
“I’m now looking forward to working with the RFU and the players to move beyond the disappointment England suffered at the World Cup and hope to build a new team that will reflect the level of talent that exists within the English game. I believe the future is bright for England.”
RFU chief executive Ian Ritchie, who oversaw the appointment and resignation of Lancaster, added: “We promised to recruit a coach with proven international experience and we have done that.
"Eddie is a world-class coach, with extensive experience at the highest level with Australia, South Africa and Japan. We believe that the appointment, which was unanimously approved by the RFU Board, is the right one to bring England success in the short, medium and long term.
“We are confident Eddie can build on the strong foundations already laid, with this talented group of players largely remaining together through to the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan and beyond. We are grateful to the Stormers for their co-operation in releasing Eddie early from his contract.”
Jones left his role with Japan following the Rugby World Cup, in which they famously beat South Africa 34-32 in the pool stage and came within a whisker of reaching the quarter-finals for the first time, only to be edged out by the Springboks and Scotland. In doing so, they became the first ever nation to win three pool matches and fail to progress to the knockout stage.
The 55-year-old Australian coached the Wallabies when they lost the 2003 Rugby World Cup final to England, and holds a single Tri-Nations victory to his name which came back in 2001 in the same year that his Australia side beat the British and Irish Lions.
Jones was initially included on a shortlist drawn up by the RFU once Lancaster had offered his resignation, where he was joined by former South Africa head coach Jake White, Australia’s Michael Cheika and current Wales boss Warren Gatland.
But while White made his interest in the role perfectly clear, both Gatland and Cheika were among a large number of possible replacements who ruled out taking up the position.
While Japan quickly became everyone’s ‘second team’ at the World Cup following the expansive style and major upset over South Africa, their 2015 failed to deliver the high hopes away from the tournament.
Japan finished fourth in the Pacific Nations tournament, winning just one of their four matches while suffering losses against Fiji, Tonga and the United States, and while Jones is well known on these shores given the two years he spent with Aviva Premiership side Saracens from 2007 until 2009, question have arisen over his suitability given he has not won a major tournament in the last 14 years.
However, Jones’ appointment could spell good news for one of the current England coaches as Andy Farrell worked under Jones’s stewardship at Sarries before joining the England set-up. While Jones is likely to want to add his personal touch to the backroom staff – which could spell trouble for forwards coach Graham Rowntree and attack coach Mike Catt – Farrell’s relationship with Jones could see the ex-England international cling on to his position as defence coach.
Furthermore, former Saracens and England captain Steve Borthwick could follow Jones having worked with the Australian in the Japan coaching set-up. The former second-row was also the Saracens skipper during Jones’ reign at Vicarage Road.
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