Eddie Jones took over from Dave Rennie as Australia coach on five-year contract in January, but run of losses and first Rugby World Cup pool-stage exit for Wallabies led to 63-year-old resigning; despite links to Japan return, Jones has consistently insisted he has no job offer
Tuesday 31 October 2023 08:02, UK
Eddie Jones said he wanted to continue as head coach of Australia and has not had a job offer from Japan after his resignation was confirmed.
Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh said they had reached a "sensible" agreement with the former England coach as his nine months in the job came to an end.
Speaking to Channel 9 in Australia, Jones said he "never" had a job offer from Japan and criticised media reports of an interview ahead of a World Cup campaign which saw Australia crash out in the group stages.
"I've got no job to go to, no job offer," he said. "My commitment to Australian rugby has been 100 per cent. I did want to go on. Coaching a team is a bit like being in a marriage, you need commitment from both sides.
"I was committed to change the team. Rugby Australia at the moment cannot activate the changes, financial and political, to make real change in Australian rugby."
He continued: "I don't like to be in projects where I don't think they can really get to where they need to get to and I've made that decision.
"Rugby Australia probably doesn't think that and that's where the unity of our project is not in the place it needs to be.
"Sometimes you go in the bank and blow it up but you don't come out with the money."
Former Wallabies flanker Waugh said he "took Eddie on his word" when he denied reports linking him with Japan.
Talking to a press conference in Sydney, Waugh said: "Our focus will be reconnecting with the Australian public rather than where Eddie's going to be.
"We've come to a sensible conclusion, both for Eddie and for Rugby Australia.
"I don't think it changes the position we're at now, whether Eddie was to stay or go. This is hopefully a low point and a chance to reset. The most important thing is to unite."
Rugby Australia accepted the resignation of Jones just 10 months into a five-year contract after the Wallabies' pool-stage World Cup exit.
The former England head coach returned for a second spell in charge of his home nation in January this year, replacing Dave Rennie, and signed an A$4.5m (£2.35m) deal with Rugby Australia.
However, a winless Rugby Championship campaign followed by going out of this year's World Cup in the pool stage for the first time and suffering a shock defeat to Fiji in the process has led to Jones departing the position, confirmed for November 25.
"Rugby Australia can confirm that it has accepted the resignation of Wallabies head coach Eddie Jones, and he will depart the position on 25 November 2023," a statement from the governing body read.
"Rugby Australia thanks Eddie for his commitment to the Wallabies in 2023, and wishes him the best in his future endeavours.
"Announcements regarding the future of the Wallabies coaching staff will be made in due course."
In an interview with The Australian newspaper, Jones said he had "no regrets" over his time in charge and he hopes his tenure will be the "catalyst for change" for the country.
He added: "I feel disappointed about the World Cup. I feel disappointment about the fact that what we wanted to do in terms of changing the system hasn't been able to happen in the short term. In the short and medium term, it really affects me personally. I have a major feeling of disappointment. But I don't feel any grievance towards anyone.
"I've really enjoyed coaching the players. The players have been fantastic. They just need a better environment to be training and playing in."
Jones has consistently denied reports which emerged during the tournament in France over him speaking to the Japan Rugby Football Union prior to the World Cup about returning to coach the Brave Blossoms, with the 63-year-old insisting he was committed to the Australia job.
Jones, whose mother and wife are Japanese, has been linked with the Japan head coach job since Australian media reported he had interviewed for it a couple of days before the Wallabies' final World Cup warm-up.
However, Jones still hopes to coach "one more international team, one more cycle" in the future, but says he does not currently have a job to go to.
He is currently in the United Kingdom training the Barbarians with Scott Robertson ahead of their match against Wales on November 4.
Jones also mentioned he is looking forward to spending more time with his wife.
"I haven't got any job offer. I've been living apart from my wife because she lives in Japan," he said.
"I want to spend a bit of time with her. I want to stay married. I think at 63 I don't want to get divorced. And then come December, I'll start to have a look and see what I'd like to coach another international team, I like to coach one more team. One more cycle."
Chairman of Rugby Australia Hamish McLennan had already vowed to continue in his role.
McLennan told the Sydney Morning Herald in a statement: "I came to rugby to find a way to fix it when it all fell over and despite the sad Eddie situation, this is another hurdle we'll overcome.
"I want to stay to deliver the 2027 World Cup in Australia. That has always been the big prize for Australian rugby.
"More destabilisation will just make matters worse, just when we're about to break through. Life is not a continuous line of perfect calls and success."
Jones was reappointed as Australia's head coach in January 2023, a month after the Rugby Football Union had sacked him after seven years in the role for a poor run of results where England won just five of their 12 Tests in 2022.
He had led England to three Six Nations titles, including the Grand Slam in 2016 and the World Cup final in 2019.
The 63-year-old coached Australia between 2001 and 2005 in which he also led them to the 2003 World Cup final where they were beaten by England in Sydney.
The Wallabies won only two of their nine Tests this year, against Georgia and Portugal but then suffered back-to-back World Cup defeats to Fiji and Wales.
During Jones' most recent stint as the Wallabies coach, Australia had a win rate of 12.5 per cent - the least successful in their history.
