“There’s still more to come”: Further details emerge on Jones’ resignation
Eddie Jones #EddieJones
Eddie Jones’ tenure as Wallabies coach is finished.
It comes as no surprise after a disastrous year for Australian rugby, with Jones’ first steps towards resignation on Sunday night another dagger for the national team.
As first reported by The Sydney Morning Herald’s Tom Decent, Jones resigned from the job in the midst of a mountain of speculation linking him to becoming Japan’s next coach.
Decent, who has owned the story throughout, spoke to SEN Breakfast on Monday morning.
“It’s been an absolute car crash of a 10 months for Eddie Jones, two wins from nine games, Wallabies’ first time bowing out in the pool stage at a Rugby World Cup and 12 or 13 days ago he said he was committed for the long haul and to see out his contract to 2027 and he quit last night,” Decent began.
“It’s a very sad day for Australian rugby.”
Jones has repeatedly refuted the links between him and the Japan top job. He signed with Australia in January and despite being questioned on multiple occasions, has never suggested he would quit.
Decent believes there’s more to play out between Jones and Japan.
“Multiple outlets have reported that he has a second interview lined up for early next month. We’ll just wait and see on that front, I think there’s still more to come on that story,” he continued.
“I think clearly Eddie is trying to spin this and say it’s a bigger, broader Australian rugby issue, but as so many people are saying to me… it didn’t have to be this way.
“He made sweeping changes to a team that was not great but not pathetic and they’ve had their worst World Cup result.
“Why couldn’t he have just started a rebuild after the World Cup? He had four years heading into a home World Cup but I just think he’s seen the writing on the wall and he’s not a very popular man in the Australian rugby landscape today.”
Such has been the negative publicity surrounding Jones, Decent believes the 63-year-old has done himself out of the Japan job.
“If you asked me right now, I don’t think Eddie Jones will get that Japan job,” Decent stated.
“I think they’re looking at this whole circus and how it has all played out and he is a liability at the moment.
“There’s no question on that. He got sacked from England in late 2022, he resigned this year, it would be a bold call for Japan to take him on.”
Jones’ only two wins in charge of Australia came against Portugal and Georgia.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports RA chairman Hamish McLennan says Jones did not receive a payout.