According to reports, Eddie Jones has stepped down as Wallabies coach, marking the end of his tenure after only 10 months of his $5m contract that was supposed to last five years.

Reports state that Jones and his team notified Rugby Australia on Friday of their willingness to leave the Wallabies position, after Australia’s disappointing elimination from the 2023 World Cup. While RA is currently conducting a review of the tournament, Jones has chosen to depart before November.

On Sunday, Jones informed AAP that he would be resigning soon and the necessary paperwork between the parties would be finalized this week. Later that night, Jones and RA came to an agreement on the terms of his exit.

Jones informed The Australian that he had reached an agreement regarding his departure and there will be no compensation.

Jones expressed disappointment in the fact that our desired changes to the system were not achievable in the near future.

I am feeling very disappointed, but I hold no resentment towards anyone. Coaching the players has been a great experience for me and they have been exceptional. However, they require a better training and playing environment.

The recent events have dealt a significant blow to Australian rugby, as they fired previous coach Dave Rennie and brought in Jones in January, shortly after he was removed from his position as England’s head coach.

The 63-year-old Jones was praised by RA as the one who would save the sport in Australia. In a unique move, he was given control over both the men’s and women’s rugby programs, with the goal of achieving success by the 2027 Men’s World Cup and the 2029 Women’s World Cup, both of which will take place in Australia.

According to RA chairman Hamish McLennan, Eddie has a natural understanding of the way rugby is played in Australia. He praised Jones as the top coach in the world and highlighted his extensive knowledge of our rugby system, player group, and pathways, which will elevate the team to new heights.

However, Jones’s return as coach of the national team in 2001-05 has been chaotic from the start. His team suffered five consecutive losses, failed to win in the Rugby Championship, and was shutout 2-0 in the Bledisloe Cup. At the World Cup, Jones led a young and inexperienced squad to embarrassing defeats against Fiji and Wales, resulting in an early exit from the tournament.

In the end, the Wallabies only managed to win two out of the nine games that he coached them in. These victories were against weaker rugby teams, Georgia and Portugal. Jones received criticism from both the media and rugby supporters due to his unusual choices (such as using six different captains in nine games), odd strategies, and unconventional coaching staff.

There have been rumors circulating that Jones has already secured his next job. According to several media outlets, Jones had an interview with officials from Japan’s rugby team last month to potentially become their head coach in 2024. This interview allegedly occurred shortly before Australia’s pre-World Cup match against France, which they unfortunately lost 41-17.

Jones has consistently rejected claims that he was interviewed for the position or had any communication with the JRFU or other parties. He has also stated his commitment to the Wallabies until 2027.

“I will remain here, my friend,” he stated upon coming back to Australia. “I have always been dedicated to Australian rugby and my goal is to leave it in a stronger state – that is still my duty. I have not been in communication with anyone. My plan is to stay…but in our profession, the coach does not have control over how long they remain.”

Currently, Jones is co-coaching a Barbarians XV in the United Kingdom alongside incoming All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. They will be facing off against Wales on November 5th.

Source: theguardian.com