England’s failed Six Nations fell below expectations but Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney remains convinced Eddie Jones is the right man to guide the side into the World Cup.
They finished third in the table after slumping to three defeats for a second consecutive year, yet the RFU’s initial reaction was to state “we are encouraged by the solid progress the team has made”.
It was an attempt to end any uncertainty over Jones’ future, but it provoked an outcry with former England winger Ugo Monye and retired Wales captain Sam Warburton accusing Twickenham of being “dishonest”.
“The feelings were genuine. Really disappointed, massively frustrated. Should we have said that more up front on Saturday? Yes, probably, recognising fans’ disappointment as well,” Sweeney conceded. “We are all, as an organisation and to a person, incredibly disappointed with what happened this year in the Six Nations.
“You’d expect more from England and we demand more in terms of our results and our performances. Our emotions have been running very high. It still feels quite raw.
“Winning two this year compared to winning two last year is not progress and that’s a fair criticism. But we feel we’re heading in the right direction, hence we were OK with that statement.”
Apart from the title won on points difference during the COVID-interrupted Six Nations of 2020, England’s record in the tournament over the last five years makes for grim reading.
In that period they have finished fifth twice and on three occasions managed to claim only two wins, increasing the scrutiny on Australian Jones’ position as head coach.
A successful autumn that produced victories over Tonga, Australia and South Africa bought him breathing space, yet the RFU’s unconditional support for Jones rankles with sections of the rugby public.
Jones will now face the customary end-of-Championship review that will be conducted by Sweeney and a panel of unnamed figures from the game, but his future is assured whatever their findings.
“We speak with Eddie on a very frequent basis and he updates us in terms of our thinking and where he thinks we’re falling short,” Sweeney said. “He’s got the absolute belief and commitment of the players and we believe he’s the right guy to take us through. We’ll continue to review as we go through.
“It’s not easy coming fifth in a Six Nations. It’s not easy coming third, but it’s worse coming fifth. Forget the rankings for a second – you just don’t want to lose.
“Do we have the right set-up? Do we have the right organisation? Are we going to progress or are we deluding ourselves?
“Whenever we’ve had that conversation, we’ve come out on the side of ‘no, we think we’re going in the right direction as we’re transitioning and rebuilding this team’.”
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