Eddie Jones has been fired by England,
leaving the squad nine months before the Rugby World Cup without a head coach.
Richard Cockerill, the team's forwards
coach, will take over as interim manager.
Jones leaves after a disastrous year
in which he won just five of his twelve Test matches.
In his seven years as coach, the
62-year-old won three Six Nations championships and guided the group to the
2019 World Cup final, where they were defeated by South Africa.
Jones' sacking follows a review into England's disappointing
autumn campaign, which saw one win from four matches.
"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,"
said the Australian.
"Many of the players and I will no doubt keep in touch and
I wish them all well in their future careers."
Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney praised Jones'
"huge contribution" to English rugby.
"He has the highest win ratio of any previous England head
coach and has helped develop the leadership skills of many players and
coaches," said Sweeney.
"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."
The RFU stated that a full-time appointment will
"set to be announced in the near future" and "will now end the
long-term work it has been working on coach succession planning."
On February 4, 2023, England will host Scotland in
the opening round of the Six Nations. France is hosting the World Cup, which
begins in September.
0 Comments