Eddie Jones believes he was “too nice” to his England players, which led to his sacking as head coach a fortnight ago.
“I was certainly too hard on the players 20 years ago, when I started with the Wallabies,” he told French newspaper Midi Olimpique.
“But I have evolved a lot in my management over the years. I even think that I have been too nice to the players in recent years.
“I had a meeting with the senior directors of the RFU,” Jones added.
“I felt, that day, that the atmosphere was bizarre. They were not like they usually are with me. After that, the British media became more and more critical. I understood then that the end was nigh.
“We always make mistakes. If today I could go back in time, maybe I would change some of my selection criteria,” he said
“2021 was a very bad year for us. Saracens had just been demoted to the second division. As you probably know, the XV of England was then mainly formed by players from the Sarries.
“The problem is that their level has dropped considerably, in the second division and that the performances of our national team immediately suffered from it,” he said.
“So I should have changed my tune, that year. And I regret it, this is the mistake I made.”
Eddie Jones Facts:
- He made three appearances for Leicester during the 1991/92 season in England
- Jones was born in Burnie, Tasmania to a Japanese American mother and an Australian Father
- He was the first non-Englishman to become Head Coach of the England rugby team
- Jones discovered the talent of Australia great George Smith
Eddie Jones dream team DOESN’T include Tom Curry
BACK-THREE:
- 15. Anthony Watson (England)
- 14. Bryan Habana (South Africa)
- 11. Lote Tuqiri (Australia)
CENTRES:
- 13. Stirling Mortlock (Australia)
- 12. Manu Tuilagi (England)
