Eddie Jones ‘not at all’ interested in British and Irish Lions job
Head Coach Warren Gatland and ex-Wallabies boss Eddie Jones during the Rugby World Cup Pool C match between Wales and Australia.
Ex-England and Australia head coach Eddie Jones has ruled himself out of contention for the vacant British and Irish Lions role.
Jones is on the market for a new job after handing in his resignation as the Wallabies head coach.
He finishes up with Rugby Australia later this month but is currently assisting future All Blacks coach Scott Robertson at the Barbarians for their fixture against Wales.
Meanwhile, Warren Gatland has confirmed that he will not be putting his name forward to coach the British and Irish Lions in 2025.
Eddie Jones won’t be applying for the Lions gig
Jones initially signed on as the Wallabies boss until 2027, which would have seen him take on the British & Irish Lions.
Ahead of the Baa-baas match, he was asked if he would consider coaching the invitational side on their tour Down Under.
“I have moved from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere,” Jones said.
“I had my go with England. I loved coaching England, and I wouldn’t want to be involved in the Lions. Not at all.”
“20 years of unsuccessful rugby”
Meanwhile, Jones insists that his role as the Wallabies head coach would have been compromised had he stayed in the job.
“Post the World Cup, there was always going to be a decision to be made whether we were going to change Australian rugby or not,” said Jones, who was reportedly interviewed by the Japanese Rugby Football Union before the tournament over becoming their head coach.
“I went in with a plan and had a commitment from Rugby Australia what that looked like.
“When the unity of where we were going wasn’t the same, not because of the lack of desire from Rugby Australia but there’s other forces at play, then the only thing I could do was resign.
“Obviously, the results are disappointing, but I went in there with a plan to change Australian rugby, which not only involves the team but the system to put it together.
“When you’ve had 20 years of unsuccessful rugby, that’s because of the system. I went in with a plan of how to change the system, and that’s unable to be changed. I felt my job would be compromised for the next four years, which I wasn’t prepared to do.”
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