Eddie Jones rejected the assertion he betrayed Australian rugby after becoming the coach of Japan, six weeks after quitting the Wallabies following their worst-ever Rugby World Cup campaign.
Eddie Jones rejected the assertion he betrayed Australian rugby after becoming the coach of Japan, six weeks after quitting the Wallabies following their worst-ever Rugby World Cup campaign.
The captivating In response to rumors that he had an interview with the Japanese Rugby Football Union before to the World Cup, Jones stated on Thursday that he had no remorse about accepting the position in Japan a second time.
While Jones said that he didn’t interview him until December, JRFU president Masato Tsuchida stated that their earlier discussions were part of a larger effort to choose the best candidate and to gather additional information.
According to Jones, he had intended to remain with Australia until the 2027 World Cup, but he used his right to quit his position one year into a five-year contract because he didn’t agree on how to move the team forward.
“I feel awful about Australia’s results because I wanted to go back and change Australia,” Jones said following his appointment as coach at a press conference in Tokyo. “However, I have no guilt whatsoever regarding this process.”
“I gave it everything I could for that brief period of time, but it wasn’t good enough,” Jones continued. I made the decision to move on because I had a plan for how we could improve Australian rugby, but we were unable to carry it out and Rugby Australia was unable to provide the necessary funding.
When asked about his thoughts on being called out for lying and disappointing Australia, Jones responded, “Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I can’t control that opinion.” My own actions are the only thing under my control. It seems reasonable to me. People are free to judge if they feel that way. I have no power over that.
Following Australia’s first-ever World Cup elimination round loss to Fiji and Wales in the pool stages, Jones is attempting to restore his reputation. Prior to that, he worked for England for seven years, leading the team to the 2019 World Cup final. However, his tactics proved ineffective, and in 2022 the English won just five of their twelve test matches. As a result, he was fired.
He takes up the role he played from 2012 to 2015, when he led the Brave Blossoms to victory over South Africa in the 2015 World Cup, one of the biggest upsets in sports history.
Jones, whose mother and wife are Japanese, stated that his goals are to establish Japan as one of the top four countries in the globe, as well as to create a team with a “point of difference” and a “real identity.”
After Japan was eliminated in the group stages of the World Cup in France, four years after making it to the quarterfinals on home soil for the first time, Jamie Joseph resigned as Japan’s coach.
Jones remarked, “I feel how important rugby is to Japanese society now.” “Japan was a team that had not won a World Cup match when I took over as coach in 2015.” And the Japanese public had no affection for the team.
“We have a team that the fans love now, rugby is a big part of society, and it’s an exciting opportunity to be a part of the push to get Japan into the top eight or top four in the world.”
