Eddie Jones explains his good mood despite losing his job as England’s head coach last month by stating, “It’s where I feel the most at ease, mate.” Jones is currently based in Japan, where he feels most at ease.
“Because I’m not under constant scrutiny and I’m not frequently noticed, I can go about my business relatively unhindered.”
I have interviewed Jones more than forty times, primarily while working on his autobiography, and there is a stark contrast between today’s and those tense occasions when he was under intense pressure.
Jones can now reflect on the three major errors he believes he committed during his seven-year tenure with England. Off the field, he admits he made a mistake last year when he said that England’s leadership issues stemmed from the public school system.
The England mistakes that got me fired
Jones insists there are no recriminations within the RFU. They concluded. Thus be it” he is notably upbeat as he teases where he will coach next, admits that he still wants to win the World Cup, discusses how attending church brings him peace, and insists that turning 63 this month will not hinder his coaching ambitions.
He differs from the irritable and exhausted coach he frequently resembled in recent years. “I never felt that while performing my duties,” he says. “But then you reflect on the past and realize, ‘Yeah, there were moments when you did nothing but think about the job.'” We do it, among other reasons, because we enjoy it. But I’m eager to travel again.”
This enthusiasm originates from the fact that, as Jones explains, “I have several viable possibilities. I will decide within the next couple of weeks as I have reached the point of contract negotiations.
Is he intrigued by both alternatives? “100%, mate,” he responds with a wide grin as I fish for hints. The decision will be based on where I believe I can contribute the most over the next four to five years.
Is one offer from a country with a winning record and the other from a nation in the process of improving its rugby? “One’s one and one’s the other, mate,” he says, loving the game.
Jones coached his native Australia from 2001 to 2005, helping them reach the World Cup final in 2003, and I wonder if he may consider working with Dave Rennie, the current Wallabies head coach. “I’m not an assistant coach, mate. I’m not interested in that sort of job.”
While he likes being a head coach, 10 weeks before the 2007 World Cup, South Africa did engage him as a consultant. Many of the Springbok players have felt Jones’s entrance was key to their becoming world champions that year. It is surprising that Rassie Erasmus, South Africa’s cheeky rugby director, might now offer Jones a position.
Erasmus and Jones orchestrating England’s demise at the World Cup would be one of the year’s most significant athletic events. “I’d become a TikTok expert, mate,” Jones says with a chuckle.
In terms of developing nations, Georgia is an intriguing candidate. However, Jones has always told me that coaching the United States has a strong appeal. “100%. That would be one of the better ventures, but I get the sense that World Rugby is beginning to assess if the investment in that country has prepared them. Since the United States did not qualify for the World Cup, nothing has changed.”
His World Cup record is incredibly impressive, and he made Japan the tournament’s narrative in 2015. Does he still want to win it? “Of course, I’d like to hoist the trophy. However, I appreciate the process of assembling a team and playing excellent rugby.”
Jones produced the best record of any England rugby coach in history, winning 59 of 81 Tests with a 73% winning percentage, beating Sir Clive Woodward’s 71% winning percentage.
England reached the 2019 World Cup final after winning three Six Nations competitions, one grand slam, and one grand slam. In contrast to the previous year, when his fractured team won only five of twelve Tests and sadness settled upon Twickenham, these are genuine accomplishments.
South Africa did engage him as a consultant
He claims that the desire to remove him dates back to the 2020 Six Nations. Some people believe that I am an idiot, but I could hear the drums thumping quite loudly.
England won one of four Tests last fall. However, it is feasible that he might still be in command if Marcus Smith had converted a failed conversion that would have turned a 25-25 tie with New Zealand into an unforgettable victory. He smiles. My wife likes to say, “We don’t deal with ifs in this house.”
Jones insists he was a “good coach” despite England’s disappointing performance. “Yes, especially in the past 18 months. Parts of me say, “Oh my goodness! Some of the rugby we played in November was of the highest quality. “I felt we were magnificent against Japan.
New Zealand played tremendous rugby, but we stuck in there, and the rugby we played at the finish of the game [gaining parity after being down 25-6 with 10 minutes remaining] makes you sit on the edge of your seat.
He claimed after the game that he had been a poor coach. “I believe that when we lose, we must accept responsibility. And when we win, give credit to the players, especially in England with its powerful media. You wish to safeguard the gamers as much as possible.”
In his final encounter, “we were outmatched by South Africa,” he said. The level of physicality in rugby has skyrocketed, necessitating excellent kicking and contesting abilities at the breakdown. Therefore, the game is rapidly evolving, and the team who adapts the quickest between now and the World Cup will win. “I have a mental image of how you do it.”
What different actions may he have taken with England?
“I don’t have any regrets, but I did make a few blunders and made a few hasty judgments.” Jones notes that because rugby has grown “far more complex,” the work of his assistant coaches is “very crucial because they perform the majority of the instruction.”
Could he have done more to generate the synergy that was missing between him and some of his assistant coaches? “I believe it’s always about choosing the right people, mate.”
Jones oversaw a steady turnover of employees, but he focuses on his most successful hire. “Steve Borthwick was there [from 2016] till 2020. He then desired his career. One of my responsibilities was to help England win again, which I did. I was also tasked with producing the next head coach.
Therefore, I can look back with satisfaction, knowing that Steve will perform an excellent job. He is extraordinary.”
“In 2020, we won the two available trophies [the Six Nations and Autumn Nations Cup], but our manner of play was heavily criticized.
The shift to a better style was required, and I likely did not get the evolution correct. There were several other factors involved [such as Covid and Saracens getting relegated for exceeding the salary ceiling], but excuses are not acceptable.”
When we worked together, Jones frequently discussed his efforts to instill leadership qualities in athletes. He criticized the privileged lives of athletes educated at public schools and he aired such thoughts publicly in an interview last year.
“That was one of my errors, mate,” he recalls, recalling the RFU and Twickenham crowd’s harsh reaction. “You’re in trouble if you allow that bunch to cross the center line. But diversity is very vital, and athletics is not immune to this.”
Jones has long admired athletes from the alleged “wrong side of the tracks,” in part because he has been an outsider ever since he was a young, brash child of mixed Japanese and white Australian ancestry. However, he is encouraged by the thank-you notes from “at least 50 players” he selected for England.
“That was one of the great things because they don’t need to say anything anymore because you won’t advance their careers. I have the utmost respect for English players. They work diligently and give their all, and I thoroughly enjoyed coaching them. This is always the most tragic part.
You are not their friend, but you have tremendous respect for them and a strong desire to improve things together. This is likely the most difficult aspect of the job.”
He has questioned whether he was too lenient with the players. “There is this notion I’m a wild lunatic. However, I have not been like that in a very long time. I do not know if I was too accommodating in England. Am I getting enough from the players? Probably not, and that’s why you’re being fired, friend.”
Jones exudes pride as he describes his time with England: “Eighteen consecutive victories, which is still the world record for a top-tier nation. We were the only side to have twice won a series in Australia.
What more improvements could Jones have made?
We reached the World Cup final, and that’s how I envision England playing in the future: with strength, speed, a tremendous degree of toughness, and some finesse. That was entertaining, but we never quite regained equilibrium.”
During his mandatory hiatus, Jones enjoyed watching the World Cup. “It was wonderful, and I loved what Morocco and Croatia achieved. Two little populations [who made it to the semifinals] playing their tune. And that final was incredibly beautiful.”
In September, the men’s Rugby World Cup begins, and Jones predicts that “six teams can win. Australia has defeated South Africa, tied with New Zealand, and lost to France on the road by a single point.
Thus, they are one of England’s six allies. South Africa and New Zealand are rated third and fourth, respectively. Ireland and France are the two most popular teams. They may be marginally ahead, but they may not be in nine months, and that is all that matters.
In the majority of previous World Cups, New Zealand has been well ahead of a group of nations vying to play them. Typically, it’s South Africa, which has won three World Cups. This has now changed.”
France is the current Six Nations winner and hosts the tournament. “They have a 2023 project,” Jones admits. “If one examines the history of French athletics, they have been able to achieve this feat during World Cups, when the entire nation rallies behind the team. Currently, it’s effective, but what about later this year? “Nobody knows”
Has Jones conversed with Borthwick?
“Very short, I concluded. I wished him well and am available to assist him in any way. This month I’ll be in the United Kingdom, and if he needs any assistance, I’ll lend a hand.
Jones will have departed England well before this summer’s Ashes begin. He is an avid cricket fan, but he shakes his head when asked if he followed England’s Test team under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes’ recent 3-0 victory in Pakistan.
“They have yet to play Australia, pal. Observe their performance in the Ashes. The greatest challenge for England is to maintain their success.”
In 2013, following a stroke in Japan, Jones found solace in attending church. He is back at the same church. “I’m not very Christian, yet it’s strange how one feels attracted to it. I believed it was vital to spend Christmas and New Year’s there due to the tranquil atmosphere. That affords you the opportunity for deep contemplation.”
Is he aware that time is passing?
“Well, the other night I had dinner with several Goldman Sachs employees and chairmen of enormous Japanese corporations. All of them were in their 70s. They are very knowledgeable about all topics, including politics, Covid in China, the Japanese economy, and sports.
If you take care of yourself, there is no reason why you should not succeed in any endeavor at that age. Therefore, there is no reason why I shouldn’t coach at least one more World Cup cycle.”
There is time for one final reflection on England and Gareth Southgate’s choice to continue as manager beyond the 2019 World Cup. “I knew it would be difficult since we had to rebuild the team, and as England’s first foreign coach, I anticipated receiving more criticism.
However, I’m glad I gave it a shot. With any luck, I’ve left England in a better state than when I joined the office. I’d like to believe that the next time I lead a team, I will do the same thing.”
