Eddie Jones believes that the RFU is not paying attention to the situation. Credit: AFP/Anne-Christine Pujula
Eddie Jones launched a Furious Attack on Rugby Football Union training, believing that England simply didn't produce good enough players for an «aging» national team to succeed.
< p>Jones also suggested that Steve Borthwick, his successor as England manager, was in a «difficult situation» as young players established themselves at the top level.
In an extensive interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Jones, who is set to face Georgia in Australia's first World Cup match, admitted he still has an 'affection' for England and joked that he would. until his Wallabies face them in the quarter-finals of the upcoming tournament. He also touched on the suspensions of Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipole and wondered if another non-Englishman would ever coach England.
When asked if he had spoken to Borthwick, who had lost six of the first nine Tests in charge, Jones acknowledged that the flow of communication between the couple had stopped.
«At first we did, but I think he's getting along with himself and it's better to leave him now,» said the 63-year-old, who lost his first five matches in his second tenure as head coach of Australia.
“This is a difficult situation. You have an aging team. This can be seen by anyone who knows at least something about the sport. New players are coming. Some of them have done very well, like Freddie Steward, others are still on their feet, like Marcus Smith.“You just look at the results of the England under-20 team over the last five years. They don't produce quality players. Everyone looks at the head coach and wants to blame him, but the responsibility for preparing quality players lies with the RFU, but this did not happen. When you don't attract talent, you need to understand why your talent development system doesn't.
Jones' perspective on England Under-20 performance remains dominant. Although the team won the Six Nations Grand Slam in 2021, it finished outside the top two in every second season from 2018 to 2019, finishing fourth in 2023.
Dean Ryan's job as head of development international players The period from 2016 to 2019 has been criticized as a devastating period with influential figures leaving the RFU.
Dean Ryan (left) oversaw this disruptive period. Photo: Julian Simmonds
Jones' presidency as head coach also coincided with the arrival of Conor O'Shea, who has been director of performance since 2020.
«Because the system is wrong,» Jones added when asked why, in his opinion young players don't do well in England.
“Whenever you have talent – and it shows up – [you have to look] what has changed, what needs to be changed, where is the gap. And it's the responsibility of the RFU, and it's not for me to give them answers, buddy.
Jones called a potential quarter-final against Argentina or England «good fun» considering he's likely to face either Michael Cheika or Borthwick, a pair of familiar opponents, if Australia qualifies. Despite a rocky start to life with the Wallabies, Jones' confidence didn't seem to fade.
«A fantastic buddy because no one thinks we can win, which is a great situation,» he said.
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Secondly, if I look at all the teams in the World Cup, most of the teams are at the end of their cycle — look at the Ireland team. It's a very good team, but it has a lot of retired players. New Zealand and South Africa are pretty much the same.
“These teams, while they can grow, can't grow as fast as we do. I have a fair amount of optimism about what we can do. You need a little luck, but if we work hard enough, we'll succeed on our own, and who knows where we can go.»
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