Eddie Jones has quit as Wallabies coach, just 10 months into a five-year deal.
Key points:
- Eddie Jones has quit as Wallabies coach
- Jones was appointed with much fanfare on a five-year deal earlier this season, but won just two of nine matches
- The Wallabies also missed out on the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time
Jones’s imminent departure comes after a disastrous World Cup campaign in which the Wallabies failed to make the quarter-finals for the first time in history.
During his second stint in charge, Australia won only two of nine Tests in 2023.
Asked on Sunday if he had resigned, Jones replied that it was “not far away”, with the paperwork with Rugby Australia surrounding his release set to be signed.
RA said late on Sunday they weren’t in a position to comment on his position.
Jones, who had coached the Wallabies to a World Cup final in 2003 and England to the decider of the 2019 global showpiece, oversaw a horror show during the tournament in France.
The Wallabies lost to Fiji for the first time in tournament history, and endured further humiliation with a record-breaking 40-6 defeat to Wales.
The Wallabies were rocked on the eve of the tournament when Jones was linked to the coaching vacancy for Japan’s national team, but he denied being interviewed for the post just days out from his side’s World Cup opener.
He was heavily criticised for his youth selection policy, leaving a number of veterans out of the squad including long-time skipper Michael Hooper and playmaker Quade Cooper.
Jones spoke of his ongoing commitment to the team upon his return to Australia, and said that he was awaiting the result of an RA review of the World Cup.
A fortnight on, Jones told The Australian he had amicably agreed to the terms of his departure and that there would be no payout.
The 63-year-old also said he hoped his departure would be the “catalyst for change”.
Jones denied, again, that he had another job in Japan already lined up.
