Eddie Jones sacking live: RFU accused of ‘gross act of self-harm’ – latest updates
Eddie Jones #EddieJones
Exclusive by Gavin Mairs
Chief Rugby Correspondent
Steve Borthwick is expected to be confirmed as the new England head coach by the end of the week after the Rugby Football Union opened negotiations with his club Leicester Tigers, Telegraph Sport can reveal.
Sources close to the process insist that there are likely to be ‘no blockages’ to the deal being concluded swiftly. Leicester have already confirmed privately that they do not intend to stand in Borthwick’s way and the RFU are determined to fast-track a plan to install him as Eddie Jones successor after the Australian was sacked from his position today.
It is understood that the original plan had been for Borthwick to take up his position in May and work alongside Jones as part of the RFU’s ‘Project Everest’ succession plan. However the poor results this autumn and the disconnect between the fans and the England team forced the RFU to bring Jones’ seven-year tenure to a premature end.
Leicester cancelled their scheduled press conference on Tuesday afternoon to preview their Champions Cup match against the Ospreys on Sunday at which Borthwick was due to speak.
Leicester are expected to agree to allow Borthwick to begin negotiations with the RFU once a compensation package is agreed and the 43 year-old could begin discussions with the governing body’s chief executive Bill Sweeney on Wednesday.
It is understood that Sweeney has contacted Andrea Pinchen, the Leicester Tigers chief executive, on Tuesday afternoon.
Richard Cockerill, the England forwards coach, was appointed as interim head coach following Jones’ dismissal on Tuesday morning but that was only ever a holding operation until the negotiations with Borthwick could be opened.
It is likely that the RFU will be keen to offer Borthwick a long-term deal through to the next World Cup in Australia in 2027 with a break clause dependent on results.
It is likely that the RFU will have to offer Leicester well in excess of £200,000 to buy Borthwick out of his contract with the Premiership champions, meaning that the cost of sacking Jones will exceed £1 million.
It is also understood that Leicester are unlikely to allow Borthwick to take his current assistant coaches Kevin Sinfield and Aled Waters.
The main sticking points are likely to be the make-up of his assistant coaches. Given that there is less than two months to go until the start of the Six Nations, it may be that Borthwick is prepared to work with the incumbents, which is made up of Cockerill, Martin Gleeson and Matt Proudfoot and the incoming defence coach Brett Hodgson.
The appointment of Borthwick will give the RFU the opportunity to reset relations between Conor O’Shea, the governing body’s director of performance and Sweeney, as well an improving relations between the RFU and the Premiership clubs.
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02:43 PM In pictures
2015 – Eddie Jones was introduced as England’s new head coach in November 2015 following the departure of Stuart Lancaster.
2016 – In his first Six Nations in charge he led England to a Grand Slam. A 3-0 series win in Australia followed before a undefeated Autumn campaign.
2017 – Jones lost his first match as England away to Ireland Dublin as England fell 9-13. Victory would have secured a second straight Grand Slam and world record 19th consecutive victory.
2018 – Jones’ tenure threatened to hit the rocks as England finished fifth in the Six Nations before touring South Africa in the summer and losing 2-1. They did beat South Africa in the return fixture late that autumn.
2019 – Jones leads England on a remarkable run through the World Cup culminating in a superb semi-final victory over New Zealand. However, they fell at the final hurdle – losing to South Africa.
Eddie Jones’ seven years in charge were marked some remarkable and truly awful lows.
Here’s what the numbers say about the Australian’s time as England head coach.
01:51 PM More reaction – Maggie Alphonsi 01:24 PM Have your say… 01:20 PM ‘Let class out, let instinct loose’ 01:17 PM Interesting perspective
Jones has a much higher winning percentage than his four predecessors but the graph below raises the question of how much more he improved the side than they did.
01:06 PM ‘Jones will depart as he arrived: a bundle of contradictions’
Read our Chief Sports Writer Oliver Brown’s assessment of Eddie Jones’ departure as England head coach.
01:02 PM Cockerill interview
Only last month, Charles Richardson sat down with the man who is now England’s interim head, Richard Cockerill.
“There’s nothing worse than assistant coaches that want to be in charge,” Cockerill said during hat conversation…
Read that full interview HERE.
12:57 PM The Southgate comparison
It’s interesting to note the parallels between the public opinion around both Eddie Jones and Gareth Southgate.
Last year, Southgate took England to their first major final in 55 years. Yet just a few months ago people were calling for his job after a hapless run of performances.
Fast-forward to now and people are celebrating him as a tournament mastermind.
I’d imagine those who lobbied for Eddie Jones to remain in his job were thinking we’d see something similar at next year’s Rugby World Cup.
12:27 PM Neil Back reacts to Jones sacking 12:26 PM Who is Scott Robertson?
Steve Borthwick is the front runner for the England job but with Andy Goode raising the name of Scott Robertson, it might be worth delving into exactly who he’s referring to.
Widely acknowledged as one rugby’s most innovative and well-regarded names, Robertson is the current coach of the Crusaders in Super Rugby.
Only yesterday, Warren Gatland threw his weight behind Robertson becoming a future All Backs coach but it has been reported he may be on England’s radar as a potential Jones replacement.
12:17 PM ‘Go get Scott Robertson’, says Goode 12:07 PM Jones’ magnum opus
Eddie Jones’ time in charge of England included Grand Slams, Six Nations titles and an unprecedented winning streak.
But this performance in the 2019 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand in Yokohama will always be remembered as his masterpiece.
11:58 AM ‘Misguided rhetoric and unfulfilled promises’
England’s World Cup winning coach Sir Clive Woodward has been a long-term critic of Jones.
“What will Jones’s legacy be? The semi-final victory over New Zealand at the 2019 World Cup was his best performance but unfortunately, he will be remembered for the misguided rhetoric and unfulfilled promises.” Woodward wrote in the Daily Mail. “I don’t think history will remember this period of English rugby too kindly.
“I’m always sorry to see people lose their job but Eddie Jones has been badly distracted since the last World Cup and he’s paid the price. He is a shadow of the Jones I competed with and whose first years with England were so successful and rightfully applauded.
“He became completely focused on the 2023 World Cup and that was a costly error. International rugby is very simple: focus everything on the next game with absolutely zero distractions. The fans who pump the money into the sport didn’t buy his hype.
“He lost focus of simply winning the next game and allowed himself to get distracted by the media, former players, writing books and everything else. It was interesting to hear Arsene Wenger talk about Germany losing games at the football World Cup because they were distracted by political protests. They were not the only ones who took their eye off the ball.”
11:48 AM Jones’ legacy 11:47 AM No official approach
It’s worth remembering that Leicester are yet to receive any official approach from the RFU about Steve Borthwick, despite his standing as the front runner.
There is 278 days between now and England’s World Cup opener against Argentina next year and bare in mind whoever takes over will likely have far shorter than that now that Richard Cockerill has been named interim head coach.
11:34 AM Eddie Jones reaction
“I am pleased with much that we have achieved as an England team and I look forward to watching the team’s performance in the future. Many of the players and I will no doubt keep in touch and I wish them all well in their future careers.”
11:33 AM Cockerill interim
The RFU has confirmed Richard Cockerill will take over the role of England head coach in a interim capacity.
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) will now conclude the long-term work it has been undertaking on coach succession planning with changes set to be announced in the near future. In the interim, Richard Cockerill will take over the day to day running of the men’s performance team.
“It is important to recognise the huge contribution Eddie has made to English rugby, winning three Six Nations Championships, one Grand Slam and taking us to a Rugby World Cup Final.
“He has the highest win ratio of any previous England head coach and has helped develop the leadership skills of many players and coaches. I am grateful to Eddie for all he has done for England across many areas of the game and the professional way in which he has approached reviewing the performance of the team. He has provided the panel with astute insight and meaningful lessons that will support the team performance going forward.”
11:28 AM The South Africa model
Remember, South Africa took a huge leap of faith in appointing Rassie Erasmus as head coach in March 2018 and were rewarded with a World Cup victory in 2019.
A turnaround of such magnitude for England is possible then but the RFU must get its next appointment absolutely bang on.
The Australian become renowned for off-the-wall calls and strange soundbites.
Ben Coles has written a great synopsis of these various oddities. Read it HERE.
11:20 AM How it unravelled for Jones
As we’ve mentioned things a got pretty ugly, pretty quickly for Jones this autumn.
But what were the specifics in the breakdown of his tenure?
11:11 AM This appears fairly prescient 11:05 AM Eddie Jones has been sacked 
by Ben Coles
Heard from a source close to Jones that the England head coach has now been sacked. He leaves the role after seven years in charge with the highest win percentage of any England men’s head coach.
10:59 AM Eddie O’Sullivan – ‘I’d say the players has a say in this’ 10:56 AM Borthwick the front-runner
by Charles Richardson
With Steve Borthwick the front-runner to replace Eddie Jones as England head coach – and rumours circling that his Leicester lieutenants, Kevin Sinfield and Aled Walters, are being lined up to assist him – Telegraph Sport understands that there still has been no official approach from the RFU to the Tigers.
That might all change later today, however, if – or when – the RFU confirms Eddie Jones’ sacking.
10:45 AM Telegraph Sport has eyes on Eddie this morning
by Charlie Morgan, at Twickenham
Eddie Jones left Rugby House at around 10am and headed to a separate meeting next door in the glass-fronted Formation Bar of The Marriott. After that, at around 10.15am, Jones left The Marriott, jogged to a taxi and was driven away from Twickenham.
10:42 AM England in a tougher spot than Wales
Make no mistake, getting rid of Jones now is a bigger risk for the RFU than the one Wales took in sacking Wayne Pivac.
The WRU had a proven entity in Gatland to turn to, whereas England have nothing even approaching a candidate of such pedigree.
Borthwick – if he is indeed the pick – may be the right man for the job but in a World Cup year it’s undeniably a huge punt for the RFU to take.
10:34 AM Is this the right time? Matt Giteau thinks not 10:33 AM A huge gamble
When you look at the winning percentages of England’s last six head coaches you haver to say that the Eddie Jones appointment has to go down as a success for the RFU.
But sacking him just nine months out from a World Cup is a huge gamble but one very much worth taking in the eyes of many.
Sir Clive Woodward – 71 per cent
Andy Robinson – 41 per cent
Brian Ashton – 55 per cent
Martin Johnson – 53 per cent
Stuart Lancaster – 61 per cent
Eddie Jones – 73 per cent
10:26 AM The leading candidate
Steve Borthwick is the man tipped by many to replace Jones. The former England international worked under the Australian as the national team’s forwards coach from 2015 to 2020 before taking the reigns at Leicester Tigers in 2020.
In his second season at Welford Road, Borthwick led Tigers to a Premiership title, further burgeoning his standing as potential England head coach in the making.
Jones has helped the launch the careers of several England internationals who have gone on to become household names.
Henry Slade – 50
10:08 AM Wales also making moves
Another home nation who has made a significant coaching decision in the last 24 hours is Wales, following the sacking of Wayne Pivac and the re-appointment of Warren Gatland.
The Kiwi was a man many England fans had in mind as a potential successor to Jones but Wales appear to have scooped him up [again] before the RFU even had a chance.
10:02 AM Better than you expected?
The recent narrative on Jones’ tenure has been hugely negative but it is worth pointing out the great success he had as England’s head coach.
A World Cup Final in 2019, three Six Nations Championships – including a Grand Slam in 2016 – as well as a 73 per cent winning record in charge of England.
That’s better than Sir Clive Woodward….
He even equaled New Zealand’s record of 18 consecutive Test victories in 2017.
09:57 AM The current state of play
Jones was called to a meeting at Twickenham this morning at 9.30am, where Telegraph Sport understands he will be informed he has been sacked as England’s head coach. However, official confirmation of his removal could come as late as tomorrow in the form of a statement form the RFU.
09:56 AM Have your say 09:50 AM England’s recent record
It’s all been pretty ugly for England of late and those results have eventually proved too much for Bill Sweeney and the RFU top brass to bear.
England’s last nine results comprising the Autumn Series and Six Nations read thus:
England 13, South Africa 27
England 25, New Zealand 25
England 52, Japan 13
England 29, Argentina 30
France 25, England 13
England 15, Ireland 32
England 23, Wales 19
Italy 0, England 33
Scotland 20, England 17
Something to bare in mind though is that Jones did win a series in Australia as recently as this summer.
09:46 AM Exit door beckons for Jones
Eddie Jones has arrived at Twickenham for a crunch meeting with the RFU where his fate as England’s head coach is set to be sealed.
On Monday, Jones and his assistants presented their findings from the Autumn Nations Series to Sweeney, the RFU’s director of performance rugby Conor O’Shea and review panelists, outlining where improvements and refinements needed to be made to the squad ahead of the Six Nations next year, taking questions from those assembled as would normally be the case in most post-Test window reviews.
However, according to those close to Jones, the sense coming out of the meeting was that the RFU’s mind had been already made up over his future, despite giving the head coach an audience to outline his plans for the future.
“Short of producing a British birth certificate and buying the Times, I’m not sure he was going to carry the day,” a source said.
Jones, having ended a number of careers in the past himself whether players or coaches, is understood to appreciate the RFU’s need to make a decision.
This calendar year was England’s worst since 2008 and their worst autumn period since 2009. England won only one of their four Tests this autumn, against Japan, and suffered their worst calendar year since 2008 with five wins from 12 Tests.
Jones’ dismissal follows a similar precedent set by the RFU in 2006 when Andy Robinson was relieved of his duties after autumn losses to New Zealand, Argentina and South Africa.
Sir Clive Woodward is among those who believe the decision to sack Jones was the correct one, with the 2003 World Cup-winning coach saying the Australian “has been badly distracted since the last World Cup and he’s paid the price. He is a shadow of the Jones I competed with and whose first years with England were so successful and rightfully applauded”.
Steve Borthwick is the strong front-runner to replace his former boss, with the RFU believed to have sounded the Leicester supremo out earlier this year about replacing Jones after the World Cup – although that timeframe has been accelerated somewhat given recent events.
Other contenders for the post include Crusaders coach Scott Robertson, Saracens’ Mark McCall and Rob Baxter at Exeter.
Follow our live coverage of all the reaction to Jones’ dismissal, news on the potential candidates to replace him and updates and analysis from Telegraph Sport’s experts.