John Mitchell has revealed the circumstances that led to his shock departure as England assistant head coach last year.
On his day off, he was leaving the England rugby camp to watch his Black Cap son Daryl play for Middlesex, when he was confronted by Jones.
The Aussie caught Mitchell as he was leaving camp, The Times reported. Jones asked him where he was going and Mitchell replied: “I’m going to the cricket.”
“No, you’re not,” Jones responded as he had some work for Mitchell to do.
The 57-year-old ignored Jones and went to the cricket anyway. Soon after, his departure as assistant coach was announced.
Four England players who’ve been blacklisted by Eddie Jones
#1. Marland Yarde
Kiwi-born England hooker Dylan Hartley recalled Marland Yarde arriving at England’s Pennyhill base, “a bit bruised and battered” after a club game.
“Eddie greeted him with a bright ‘How are you feeling, mate?’ and the conversation quickly went downhill. ‘Oh, a bit tired.’ ‘F… off, mate.’ ‘What?’ ‘If you’re tired, f… off. I don’t want tired players here.’ As you can imagine, their cosy fireside chat echoed around the halls within minutes.”
He never played for England again.
