Eddie Jones: Outgoing coach expresses contentment with his decision to leave Wallabies

Eddie Jones Insists No Regrets Despite Australia’s World Cup Exit

Former Australia head coach Eddie Jones has clarified that he holds no regrets for resigning from his position after less than a year in charge. The Wallabies suffered an unexpected exit from the recent World Cup, failing to reach the knockout stages for the first time ever in their history.

“I entered with a clear plan and my contract reinforced both my and Rugby Australia’s commitment to fulfilling our obligations. However, we encountered some disagreements regarding these obligations,” explained Jones when asked about any potential regrets.

Jones had previously been sacked by England one month before returning as coach of the Australian team, replacing Dave Rennie. Although he had signed a contract until 2027 (the year of the next World Cup hosted by Australia), Jones will officially leave his role on November 25th.

Australia’s disappointing performance at the World Cup saw them lose to Fiji and suffer heavy defeat against Wales, resulting in a third-place finish in their group. Throughout Jones’ second stint as coach, they managed only two victories out of nine Tests – against tier-two nations Georgia and Portugal during their campaign in France.

Despite this setback, Eddie Jones remains determined: “The disappointing thing was I had a vision about what needed to be done and unfortunately both parties were unable to agree on it.” He further emphasized that working together is crucial for smaller rugby nations like Australia and stressed the need for purposeful change.

Future Prospects and the British and Irish Lions

Eddie Jones has brushed off rumors of having another job lined up, dismissing them as a distraction. He firmly believes that Australia’s lack of success over the past two decades is indicative of a need for significant changes within the sport, rather than being attributed to supposed interviews or external factors.

The possibility of coaching the British and Irish Lions on their 2025 tour to Australia has also been ruled out by Jones. Having already had his time in the northern hemisphere with England, he expressed no interest in taking part in such an opportunity.

Jones recently returned to Australia after leading England to three Six Nations titles, including a Grand Slam victory in 2016, as well as reaching the World Cup final in 2019 during his tenure from 2015 to 2022. Steve Borthwick replaced him as coach for England’s third-place finish at the World Cup, losing narrowly to eventual winners South Africa.