Jones: I’m still RIGHT man to lead England to World Cup
EDDIE Jones admits his future lies in the hands of Twickenham but the head coach remains convinced he is the right man to lead England to the next World Cup.
A fifth-placed finish sealed by Saturday’s 32-18 defeat to Ireland at the Aviva Stadium completed a dismal Six Nations that has placed Jones’ reign under intense scrutiny.
The Rugby Football Union’s customary postchampionship review will begin in the coming days with no timeframe set for its completion.
Jones will be assessed on his historical achievements as well as the outcome of the tournament, with his success in plotting a route out of a similar slump in 2018 strengthening his position.
Senior players Maro Itoje, Mako Vunipola and Jonny May have given the Australian emphatic endorsements, insisting it is the players who must be held accountable for the reverse Triple Crown of losses to Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
When asked if he is the right man to take England forward, Jones replied “that’s for other people to answer, not for me to answer”, but added he is “100 per cent” confident he can perform the role and that the Six Nations outcome had not made him question himself.
“Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I’m sure they’re angry. We expect to win and we expect to play better than we did,” said Jones in addressing the frustration of supporters. “No-one is more disappointed than the team and ourselves with what happened and the fans have got the right to be disappointed. We’re gutted by it.” England entered the Six Nations as champions after compiling an eight-test winning run, which also secured the Autumn Nations Cup, but cracks were already evident as performances failed to match results. “Unfortunately I thought we were due for a period like this. Every team goes through it,” Jones said. “International rugby, particularly at Six Nations level, you get to a certain stage and the success makes you a bit weak. You need to fight through that.
I knew a tough period was coming, because we’ve had a good run, we’ve won games we probably shouldn’t have won.
Eddie Jones
“It’s hard to be at the top of the tree all the time. And so the team goes through cycles of success and cycles of failure and I think that’s a normal part of sport. I knew a tough period was coming, because we’ve had a good run, we’ve won games we probably shouldn’t have won.
“You get on the other side of the ledger where you lose games you should have won and it becomes tough. We’re in that period now.”
May is one of several squad members to vigorously back Jones and the Gloucester wing said: “As players we’ll put our hands up because we go into games well prepared, with a
good gameplan, good understanding. Tactically, physically, mentally, we’re prepared extremely well. This one is on the players.”
Meanwhile, England prop Ellis Genge has escaped a citing for his altercation with Johnny Sexton.
Genge wrestled with Sexton under the posts as England launched a late assault with footage appearing to show him run his elbow across the Ireland captain’s head. For a disciplinary hearing to be triggered the offence has to be worthy of a red card but the deadline for a citing has passed, meaning Genge has no case to answer.