Report: Eddie Jones expected to quit Wallabies job

Wallabies head coach Eddie Jones is expected to quit as the Wallabies head coach in order to become Japan’s next head coach according to a report from The Telegraph.

The UK paper has followed reports from Japan that stated contract negotiations were underway during the Wallabies failed Rugby World Cup campaign which saw them exit at the pool stage for the first time ever.

Jones came under widespread criticism after a report leaked that he was taking Zoom interviews with Japan during the campaign.

Those appear now to be a very real concern for Rugby Australia with Japanese media reporting that Jones is set to take over from departing head coach Jamie Joseph.

“Current Australian national team coach Eddie Jones is expected to return as the successor to Joseph,” Japanese website Sponichi claimed.

“This spring, Masato Tsuchida, president of the Japan Association, with whom he has had a honeymoon relationship since his days at Suntory, contacted him.

“Contract negotiations have been held privately behind the scenes, and preparations are underway for (his) return (for the first time) since the 2015 World Cup, which led them to a historic three wins.”

The Telegraph reported that Jones was expected to meet JRFU officials in early November for a second interview but that has coincided with coaching commitments with the Barbarians.

With Jones’ long-term links to Japanese rugby, he remains an ideal candidate despite being contracted to Rugby Australia through to 2027.

Jones and Rugby Australia officials have continued to deny that he is leaving and have stated that they remain committed to Jones’ Wallabies tenure.

If the Wallabies head coach does quit it would be a sensational shock departure after inking a long-term deal to oversee the Wallabies through two World Cups and a British & Irish Lions tour.