Rugby – Eddie Jones – Should he stay or should he go!?

Since the end of the Six Nations last month, speculation in the media has been rife as to the future of England head coach Eddie Jones ahead of next year’s World Cup in France. Media criticism has increased over recent weeks with doubts over Jones’s tactics and ability with a team who have dropped to fifth in the world rankings.

Having been in charge since 2015, Jones clearly has the expertise at the highest level – he previously coached Australia between 2001 and 2005, being runner-up to Sir Clive Woodward’s England in 2003 and was an assistant coach for South Africa when the Springboks won in 2007. From 2012 to 2015 he coached Japan, leading them in the 2015 Rugby World Cup when they produced a famous upset win over South Africa at the Amex Stadium here in Brighton. When Jones was appointed as England head coach, they won the Six Nations Championship in consecutive seasons, in the process becoming only the second international rugby team to go the entire calendar year unbeaten. In 2019 his England team finished second to South Africa.

However, after Jones’ side won just two Six Nations games for the second year in a row, there were calls from some quarters for a change and opinion on whether he should be replaced appears to be gaining momentum, with some former players expressing their desire for a change at the top.

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has said it “continues to fully support” Jones and that “he is building a new England team against a clear strategy”, adding that the governing body is “encouraged by solid progress”.

During the recent Six Nations, Jones said that he sees England’s losses as learning experiences for younger players in the squad like fly-half Marcus Smith, full-back Freddie Steward and scrum-half Harry Randall. After the final game defeat to eventual Grand Slam Champions, France, Jones said “…we’re moving in the right direction…when you rebuild a team, it takes time.”

Former England scrum half, Matt Dawson’s view is that England have been the same for 10 years – only pulling a performance out of the bag when they are up against it.

Another former England player, Danny Care, believes change must come from head coach Eddie Jones if fortunes are to improve. “Something isn’t quite working, and it hasn’t for a couple of years.”

So, are England simply swapping one player for another to shield deficiencies in tactics, or are players being picked out of position? Perhaps it’s just a question of recent injuries to key players like Anthony Watson, Manu Tuilagi, Jonny May and Owen Farrell?

What we do know is that England’s upcoming fixture list of three Tests in Australia this summer, four Autumn International matches including a visit from New Zealand, and next year’s Six Nations followed by some World Cup warm-up matches means England have got time to get it right. It remains to be seen if the RFU’s faith in Jones will pay off.