Eddie Jones has reaffirmed his dedication to coaching the Australian team and has once again dismissed any rumors connecting him to a potential return to coaching in Japan.
Despite Australia’s disappointing early exit from the Rugby World Cup following losses to Fiji and Wales, the former England coach insists that he has no intentions of leaving his current role.
Speaking to reporters in Australia, Jones stated, “I’m staying, mate. I’ve always been devoted to Australian rugby, and my goal is to leave it in a better state. However, the final decision isn’t entirely mine. In our sport, the coach doesn’t always get to decide how long they stay. We’re in the process of conducting a review, and we’ll assess the situation at the end of that evaluation.”
Jones, who took over the coaching position from Dave Rennie in January, just a month after being let go by England, expressed his lack of awareness regarding the origins of the rumors suggesting his discussions with Japan about a coaching role. “I haven’t had any conversations with anyone about it, mate,” he affirmed.
Rugby Australia has initiated an independent review of the team’s performance in the World Cup. Nevertheless, Jones remains confident in his choice to field a young team and believes it will yield positive results when Australia hosts the World Cup in 2027. He explained, “I took charge of the team with limited time, had to make critical decisions regarding the squad, and determined that we needed to focus on developing young talent.
While the World Cup results weren’t what we hoped for, I believe I’ve left the Australian team in a strong position for the 2027 event. We had the courage to bet on a younger squad, and I believe this group will serve Australia well. We’ve established a solid foundation for a competitive team.”
He added, “We simply weren’t at the required level, mate. The recent quarter-finals clearly showed that. We acknowledge that we aren’t at that level yet, but we’re committed to reaching that level by 2027.”
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