Eddie Jones will soon begin his second term as head coach for Japan, as he prepares to face England in an exciting match next June. This comes after his official return to the Brave Blossoms was announced.

Jones was announced as the new Japan coach on Wednesday, marking his third international coaching position within a year. He was previously fired as the head coach of England in December and had a unsuccessful stint as the coach of the Wallabies. England is scheduled to play against Japan in Tokyo in June, followed by a two-Test tour of New Zealand. This will give Jones a chance to face his former team.

The individual, who is 63 years old, will officially begin his position on January 1st with a four-year contract. He previously held this role from 2012 to 2015. During the 2015 World Cup, Jones, as the coach of Japan, led his team to a remarkable victory against the Springboks in Brighton. This eventually led to him being hired as the coach of England, a position he held for seven years until he was fired last year.

After 30 days, he was announced as the new coach for the Wallabies, replacing Dave Rennie without any formal ceremony. However, Jones’s second time leading the Australian team was a complete failure. He only achieved two wins out of nine matches, against Georgia and Portugal. This resulted in Australia not being able to advance from their World Cup group for the first time ever. Jones made questionable choices in selecting players for the tournament, leaving experienced players like Quade Cooper and Michael Hooper out of the squad and relying on young players instead. Unfortunately, this strategy did not work in his favor.

Prior to Australia’s significant 40-6 loss to Wales in September, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that Jones had been considered for the position of Japan’s coach. This was despite the fact that he had recently signed a contract with Australia, who are set to host the British & Irish Lions in 2025 and the World Cup in 2027. Jones denied any communication with Japan during the World Cup and maintained his dedication to Australia. However, he ultimately stepped down as the Wallabies coach in October, citing problems with the structure of the sport.

Last month, Hamish McLennan, the previous chairman of Rugby Australia, put his reputation on the line by attempting to bring back Jones, but he was ultimately removed from his position.

Although Jones’s recent track record has not been impressive, with only five wins out of 12 matches during his time with England, he is still highly regarded in Japan due to their successful performance in the 2015 World Cup. While working with England, he also maintained a consulting position with Suntory Sungoliath and has a strong connection with Masato Tsuchida, the head of the Japan RFU.

The JRFU released a statement stating that Eddie Jones has been selected as the new head coach for the Japan national team, also known as the Brave Blossoms.

The Rugby Football Union’s choice to not include a non-compete clause in Jones’s severance agreement last year – and his subsequent hiring by Australia – created the possibility of a reunion with his previous employers in the World Cup quarter-finals.

Unfortunately, Australia was unable to advance from their pool, resulting in England’s upcoming match against Jones’ former team in Tokyo on June 22nd being their first encounter as opposing coaches. After that, England will travel to New Zealand for games against the All Blacks on July 6th and 13th.

Unfortunately, Saracens’ No 8, Tom Willis, will be unable to play for the next three months due to a recent knee surgery. Willis had recently made his debut for England during a World Cup warm-up match against Wales in Cardiff and was hoping to further prove himself for a spot in Steve Borthwick’s Six Nations team.

Fortunately for Borthwick, who is currently missing Tom Curry and Courtney Lawes in the championship due to injury, Ben Earl is set to return to the field for Saracens within the next month following a knee surgery.

Source: theguardian.com