Eddie Jones to be sacked as England head coach
Eddie Jones is set to be sacked as England head coach within the next 48 hours, the Rugby Football Union dispensing with the Australian's services after a dismal autumn series less than a year out from the World Cup.
After crunch talks between the 62-year-old and the RFU hierarchy on Monday, Telegraph Sport understands that Jones will be removed from his post after a seven-year stint as England head coach.
Telegraph Sport reported on Friday that Leicester head coach Steve Borthwick was the front-runner to replace Jones, with the former England captain returning to lead his country into the 2023 Six Nations and World Cup in France.
It is understood that the RFU had already sounded out the Tigers’ head coach as a possible replacement for Jones after the 2023 World Cup – that process has been expedited in light of England’s gloomy autumn. Jones would not be an option to replace Borthwick at Leicester.
Monday's review of England's autumn series began in the early afternoon and is understood to have lasted until around 5pm at Twickenham. Jones’ team of assistants – Richard Cockerill, Matt Proudfoot and Martin Gleeson among them – were seen leaving the home of English rugby as a group, separately from Jones, with Conor O’Shea and Bill Sweeney following them some time later.
Sources close to Jones had indicated recently to Telegraph Sport that the head coach was more motivated than ever to fight for his job and see England through to next year’s global showpiece in France. The outcome of Monday’s review would have come as a hammer-blow to the Australian, therefore, who always maintained that England’s recent disappointing autumn campaign was part of a wider project to win next year’s World Cup and that his side were “moving in the right direction”.
It remains unclear whether Borthwick, should he be offered the role as expected, will choose to dispose of Jones’ current assistants and bring in a new backroom team. Both Kevin Sinfield (defence) and Aled Walters (strength and conditioning) are highly regarded lieutenants of Borthwick at Leicester; so, too, Richard Wigglesworth, but the scrum-half-turned-attack-coach remains a playing member of the Tigers’ squad.
Borthwick, who arrived at Leicester at the beginning of the 2020 season, took the Tigers from near Premiership relegation to champions in just two seasons but has no experience as an international head coach. The 43-year-old worked under Jones with Japan, as forwards coach, before the Australian enlisted him on his England coaching ticket upon taking the reins in 2015.
The move to dismiss Jones marks a remarkable about-turn from the RFU, which has so far backed its head coach through each of his tempestuous periods. This year's November internationals – with a sole victory over Japan to show for England's efforts – marked the final nail in the Australian's coffin, however after a third-placed Six Nations finish followed two fifth-place finishes in three years, in 2018 and 2021 respectively. Sandwiched between them, in 2020, was another Six Nations title.
This calendar year was England's worst since 2008 and their worst autumn period since 2009, and Jones’ dismissal follows a similar precedent set by the RFU in 2006, when Andy Robinson was relieved of his duties after autumn losses to New Zealand, Argentina and, fittingly, South Africa.
Jones did oversee some remarkable achievements at the helm of English rugby since his arrival in 2015, however, the highlight coming with one of English rugby’s all-time great performances: the 2019 World Cup semi-final victory over New Zealand.
The Australian made an immediate impact upon succeeding Stuart Lancaster, leading England to a Six Nations Grand Slam, their first since 2003, to begin a golden period that encompassed 22 victories across his first 23 Tests. In that period, he led a 3-0 series whitewash in Australia and added a second Six Nations title in 2017. The following year, however, would comprise six defeats in 12 Tests.
Despite his dismissal, earlier in the year Jones maintained that he would feature in future World Cups.
“[2023 is] definitely not [my last World Cup],” he said. “It won’t be. I can’t guarantee you that but I don’t think it will be. I reckon there’s still a bit to do. There’s still a bit in the tank.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Warren Gatland ruled himself out of the running to replace Jones as Telegraph Sport revealed the New Zealander's sensational return to the Wales fold. The Welsh Rugby Union sacked Wayne Pivac after recent home defeats by Italy and Georgia with Gatland parachuted in to steady the Wales ship to the 2023 World Cup and beyond.
