Eddie Jones has been sacked after seven years at the helm of England.
It comes after a year where England have won just five out of 12 games, their worst run since 2008, concluding 2022 with a 27-13 loss against South Africa which was came in for particularly sharp criticism.
An RFU statement read: “Following a review of the Autumn Nations Series, Eddie Jones has been dismissed from the position of England Head Coach.
“The 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.”
Jones said; “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.
“Many of the players and I will no doubt keep in touch and I wish them all well in their future careers.”
England enjoyed huge success under Jones from his first Six Nations in 2016 – where he led the nation to its first grand slam since 2003 – through to the end of 2020.
In that time they won three Six Nations titles, whitewashed Australia 3-0 with a first ever series win Down Under, reached the 2019 Rugby World Cup Final, and won the sole Autumn Nations Cup tournament played in 2020.
Jones was named as the World Rugby Coach of the Year in 2017, where England won the Six Nations, were victorious in Argentina and enjoyed a second-consecutive unbeaten autumn, and would arguably have deserved to win the award again in 2020.
There was no recipient of the accolade in a Covid-hit year, but Jones’ team bounced back from their World Cup final loss in 2019 and defeat in their first Six Nations game to win that title, recording nine-consecutive wins as they went on to add the Autumn Nations Cup to their trophy cabinet.
“It is important to recognise the huge contribution Eddie has made to English rugby,” RFU CEO Bill Sweeney said. “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.”
Form started to dip in 2021 after the kick-focussed style of rugby he had adopted after the World Cup was taken apart with a first home defeat to Scotland in 38 years, and convincing defeats to Wales and Ireland in that year’s Six Nations.
England had lost to each of their fellow home nations for the first time in 45 years and finished fifth for the second time in his tenure, having not previously finished that low in the table since 1983.
England parted with their over-reliance on kicking that summer as Jones began a re-building project that began with five consecutive victories, and they were somewhat improved in the 2022 Six Nations with a third-placed finish.
But it was the third time under Jones they had lost more games than they had won in a campaign, which had not happened previously since 2006 before the Australian took the helm.
After a poor defeat in the first test in England’s tour of Australia this year, Jones again rallied his troops to claim a second series win in the nation of his birth, but just one win out of four this autumn – with Jones having previously never won less than three matches in an autumn campaign – proved the final straw for the RFU.
Jones’ initial contract had been due to run to the end of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, but it was extended to 2021 – with the final 12-month period allowing for a new coach to be embedded – in early 2018.
That was then extended to the 2023 World Cup after England reached the final in 2019, with interest from Australia among other nations encouraging the RFU to make a quick decision either way.
English rugby’s governing body have decided to pull the plug on that contract a year early however, and will now appoint a new coach just nine months out from the next World Cup while Richard Cockerill is in temporary charge.
Written by Nick Powell, Online Editor
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