Eddie Jones' Australian team was officially knocked out of the World Cup playoffs for the first time on Sunday. Photo: Reuters/Paul Childs
Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney insists he was right not to sack Eddie Jones as England coach sooner, despite his Australian side crashing out of the World Cup. pulu.
Jones was sacked by Sweeney in December last year after overseeing England's worst-performing team since 2008 before taking charge of the Wallabies. However, Jones' homecoming in Australia quickly turned sour, with the Wallabies losing all of their Rugby Championship matches before they were officially eliminated from the World Cup play-offs for the first time when Fiji claimed a losing bonus point against Portugal on Sunday.
“And a lot of things that don't get written about, he did an amazing job from a playing point of view communities. On weekends he was always at social clubs and did a lot for children and coaching. So we don’t take any pleasure in what they’re going through now.”
Sweeney strongly backed Jones after the team suffered three defeats in the 2021 and 2022 Six Nations but pulled the trigger 10 months before the World Cup. Jones's successor as England manager, Steve Borthwick, said he inherited a team that was «not good at anything» when he took charge and complained that he had to speed things up.
Bill Sweeney says Eddie Jones has «done an amazing job in terms of playing for the community»; during his tenure as England manager. Photo: Getty Images/Dan Mullan
But Sweeney says the RFU were right to back Jones, as they did during his difficult spell in 2018 before he led them to the World Cup final. “Looking back, life is really easy,” Sweeney said. “Would you make the same decision? It's so easy to look back. I don't think this is the answer. You can make comparisons with 2018 and 2019, as well as 2022 and 2023. In 2018 we finished fifth in the Six Nations, we went on tour to South Africa, we lost the first two Tests with good leads, a bit of [Danny] Cipriani. magic, we won the third test. Eddie kept his job.
“If you look at 22-23. Fifth in the Six Nations in 2022, we will win the series in Australia. Now people say that yes, they were weak, but you cannot compare that time with now, and winning a series in Australia is not easy.
So you've won the series 2-1 in Australia. , you'd expect to start in the fall, but that didn't happen for a variety of reasons, and that's when we felt we needed to take action, and then it would be in our best interest to make changes for a number of reasons.”
Sweeney also confirmed that Henry Arundell should be allowed to play in the 2024 Six Nations, but hopes the introduction of hybrid contracts will prevent a further exodus of players to France.
As first reported by Telegraph Sport, Arundell, who will join French outfit Racing 92 after the World Cup, is likely to be exempt from next year's Six Nations as a result of London Irish going into administration. A similar exemption was granted to Toulouse flanker Jack Willis earlier this year.
It will run for 12 months from the date Irish becomes insolvent, meaning Arundell will be ineligible for next summer's tour to New Zealand unless he joins a Premier League club where Gloucester and Bath top the table. race for the striker, who scored five tries on his World Cup debut against Chile.
“We said that any players who were stranded (overseas) as a result of their clubs going bankrupt and had to find work overseas as a result and couldn't get a contract in England — they would be available for the top six. Nations in 2024,” Sweeney said. “We think it will be the same with Henry Arundell — we will support Henry in this matter.
“We really support the Premier League because we want the best English players to play in England. As for Henry, he will be available for the 2024 Six Nations and then we will work very hard with him and the Premier League so hopefully he can get a contract to return to England for the 2024-25 season «.
<р>Arundell's expulsion will have to be confirmed at a meeting of the Professional Games Council after the World Cup. However, Willis, along with centers Joe Marchand, who is heading to Stade Français, and David Ribbans, who will move to Toulon, will not be able to participate in the selection while they are under contract with French clubs.
Many England's leading players. They are also out of contract at the end of this season, but Sweeney believes the possible introduction of hybrid contracts, which would pay around 25 players a fixed six-figure fee, would reduce the number of departures to France.
“The hybrid contract approach is useful in in this regard,” Sweeney said. “What we've said in working with the RPA (Rugby Players' Association) to make England the best place for professional rugby is not just in terms of money, player welfare plays a key role there. There are many stories about the experience of playing in France, the benefits, and maybe not so many benefits. We want the best players in England to play in England.»
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