England centre retired with immediate effect aged 27

Jones took over the reins on November 20th 2015, shortly after Stuart Lancaster was ousted following a first-ever pool stage elimination from that year's Rugby World Cup. England became the first host nation to ever fall out at the first round, with Jones instructed to pick up the pieces from the Lancaster regime.

The Australian made history as the first ever foreign head coach of the England men's national team, with a four year deal initially signed in 2015. After claiming back-to-back Six Nations titles in 2016 and 2017, and taking England to the Rugby World Cup Final in 2019, Jones added an extension to his deal, initially penned to see him through to after the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

However, Jones was sacked at the end of 2022, following a turbulent run of form which garnered just five wins from 22 tests throughout the calendar year. He was replaced by current England head coach Steve Borthwick, with Jones' final match in charge being a 27-13 defeat to the Springboks.

In this article, we are taking a look back upon the last five players Eddie Jones handed England debuts too, and asking the eternal question once again; where are they now?

Whilst some of these five stars have gone on to become main-stays in the England set-up, others have had rather unceremonious falls from the international stage. Lets take a look back at the past five England debutants from the fabled Eddie Jones era of 2015 to 2022.

Will Joseph was one of the final players to earn a senior England debut under Eddie Jones, emerging as a highly rated centre from the London Irish system and one of the more instinctive attacking midfielders of his age group. Educated at Millfield, Joseph progressed rapidly through England U18 and U20 honours before breaking into senior contention.

Joseph made his Premiership breakthrough with London Irish in 2021, showcasing sharp footwork and attacking awareness, most notably scoring in the Premiership Rugby Cup semi-final against Leicester Tigers. Eddie Jones included him in the 2022 Summer tour of Australia squad, and Joseph made his Test debut off the bench in Brisbane during England’s second Test win over the Wallabies.

However, despite that promising introduction, he has not featured for England since that tour, and has yet to appear under Steve Borthwick. Joseph's international trajectory stalled at a pivotal moment, as he was omitted from the 2023 Rugby World Cup squad, missing out on a place in Steve Borthwick’s final 33-man group after featuring in training squads earlier in the cycle.

The decision left him outside the tournament entirely, and he has not yet forced his way back into Test contention. At club level, he rebuilt his momentum after London Irish’s collapse in 2023 with Harlequins, before agreeing a move to Gloucester in 2025. Still only in his early twenties, Joseph remains a player with England potential rather than certainty, waiting for a second international chance to arrive.

Alex Coles has steadily evolved from an athletic academy prospect into one of England’s most dependable second-row options. A product of the Northampton Saints academy after early rugby at Newmarket and Shelford, he made his senior debut in 2018 while still a teenager, and has since become a mainstay in a Saints side competing at the top end of English and European rugby.

His club progression has mirrored Northampton’s resurgence. Coles played a key role in their 2023–24 Premiership title win, starting the final against Bath, and earned selection in the Premiership Team of the Season. His athletic profile also translated in Europe, highlighted by tries in both the 2024–25 Champions Cup quarter-final win over Castres and a two-try performance in the final defeat to Bordeaux.

Internationally, Coles has remained firmly in the England conversation since his Eddie Jones call-up in 2022. He earned his debut that year against Argentina and has accumulated 14 caps, featuring across the Borthwick era in both the Six Nations and Summer tours, including over in New Zealand in 2024.

Most recently, he reinforced his standing with a try-scoring performance in England’s dramatic defeat to France at the conclusion of the 2026 Six Nations. Still only in his mid-twenties, Coles continues to hover on the edge of a settled England pack, consistently in and around selection without yet fully cementing himself as an undisputed starter.

Guy Porter arrived in England’s Test picture as one of the more unusual modern midfield stories: a London-born centre who developed his game in Australia before returning to make his mark with Leicester Tigers. After early rugby at Rosslyn Park, he moved to Sydney at age seven, progressed through Sydney University, and even captained the side while studying law, before earning a Super Rugby opportunity with the Brumbies.

Leicester moved quickly to sign him in 2020, and Porter soon became a valued, high-work-rate centre in the Tigers system. His impact peaked during Leicester’s 2021–22 Premiership-winning campaign, where his defensive reliability and physical edge made him a key figure in Steve Borthwick’s side. That form earned him an England call-up under Eddie Jones in 2022, where he reunited with the then assistant coach of Borthwick.

Porter made his Test debut in July 2022 against Australia in Brisbane, in the extra special element of being back where his rugby journey began. He featured in England’s series win, and would go on to score his only international try (to date) in that year’s Autumn Nations Series against Japan. Across 2022–23 he earned five caps in total, including involvement in squads during Borthwick’s early tenure.

However, his England trajectory stalled quickly. He missed out on the 2023 Rugby World Cup entirely after failing to make the final squad, despite being involved in wider training groups, and his last appearance came in a warm-up defeat to Wales in August 2023. Injuries and selection changes followed, and in 2024 he was released by Leicester before announcing his retirement on medical advice due to issues with concussion at just 27-years-old.

David Ribbans emerged as one of the more late-blooming but highly dependable additions to England’s second row during the Eddie Jones era, built on years of steady development in South Africa and a reputation for relentless work rate. Raised in Somerset West, he progressed through Western Province age-grade rugby despite not being a standout schoolboy, earning his pathway the hard way through persistence and physical development rather than early hype.

After breaking into senior rugby with Western Province and later with the Stormers setup, Ribbans moved to Northampton Saints in 2017, where he quickly established himself as a core squad member. Over six seasons he passed 100 appearances, becoming known for his heavy defensive workload, physical carries and consistency in the tight exchanges. His performances helped Saints return to the top table, and he featured in their run to the Premiership semi-finals before departing in 2023.

International recognition arrived late but decisively under Eddie Jones, with Ribbans making his England debut in 2022 against Japan. He added further caps under Steve Borthwick, featuring at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, where he played in the pool stages and later appeared in England’s bronze-medal win over Argentina, finishing the tournament with 11 caps in total.

After the 2023 RWC, Ribbans ended his England career with an overseas move to Toulon in the French Top 14, where he maintains his profile as a powerful set-piece lock. Looking ahead, there has been growing speculation that he could pursue a potential international eligibility switch back toward South Africa ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup, adding an intriguing twist to a career that has already spanned two hemispheres and now sits at a potential crossroads.

Tommy Freeman’s rise to one of England’s most dangerous wide threats has been built on relentless development, positional flexibility, and a growing knack for scoring in decisive moments. Released by Leicester Tigers at 16, he rebuilt his pathway at Northampton Saints, making his senior debut in 2019 and gradually evolving from promising back-three option into a Test-level winger and occasional centre.

Freeman's club career has accelerated sharply in recent seasons. He played a key role in Northampton’s 2023–24 Premiership title win, scoring in the final against Bath, and became increasingly influential in Europe, including decisive tries in knockout wins over Munster, Clermont, Castres and Leinster. By 2025–26, Freeman had developed into one of the Saints’ primary strike runners, producing multiple multi-try performances, including hat-tricks against Saracens and Bath, and a four-try display in a single Premiership fixture.

Internationally, Freeman was fast-tracked under Eddie Jones, making his England debut in 2022 during the tour of Australia and featuring in the series win over the Wallabies. After a brief absence from the Test scene, he returned under Steve Borthwick and became a consistent attacking weapon in the 2025 Six Nations, scoring in every round of the championship and finishing as one of England’s standout performers.

This form earned Freeman selection for the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour of Australia under Andy Farrell, where he won three caps in a breakthrough Lions campaign. Now firmly established at Test level, Freeman’s rapid ascent has been recognised with a shortlist nomination for the 2026 England Men’s Player of the Year award, underlining his status as one of England’s premier attacking talents.