‘The system’s not right’ – Eddie Jones lays blame at RFU’s door for England’s struggles
England in a huddle during Rugby World Cup warm-up defeat to Fiji.
Former England head coach Eddie Jones has slammed the RFU over their current woes.
Under Jones, the Red Rose reached the final of the Rugby World Cup in Japan, a game they lost 32-12 to the Springboks, but they have been unable to build on that.
They claimed the Six Nations title in 2020, but since then, England have gone into reverse.
The 63-year-old was duly sacked by the governing body at the end of 2022 after he failed to turn things around, with Steve Borthwick coming in as his replacement.
Similar issues for Borthwick
That decision from the RFU has failed to yield the desired results, culminating in an embarrassing home defeat to Fiji last Saturday.
It was their first-ever loss to a tier-two nation and arguably leaves them at an all-time low heading into the World Cup.
“The results of England over the last five years… they’re not producing quality players,” Jones told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“And so everyone looks at the head coach, and [says] ‘let’s blame the head coach’. But the onus on producing quality players is the RFU. And that hasn’t happened.
“You’ve got to look at why you’re not bringing talent through, then you’ve got to look at why your talent development systems are not doing that.
“The system’s not right. What needs to change? Where’s the gap? That’s the responsibility of the RFU.”
Jones also has sympathy for Borthwick, who is the man currently at the helm trying to steer the ship back on course.
“You’ve got an ageing team. Anyone who knows anything about sport can see that, and then you’ve got new players coming in,” he said.
“Some of them have come through and done really well, like a Freddie Steward; others are still finding their feet, like a Marcus Smith.”
Dreadful build-up
England’s preparation for the 2023 World Cup has been marred by poor results, bad performances and ill-discipline.
The Red Rose will be without duo Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola for their opening match of the global tournament after they were both suspended for dangerous tackles.
They were key players during Jones’ reign, and the current Wallabies boss defended the pair.
“They all care. Billy cares about his game, cares about his team, cares about his nation. As does Owen. Sometimes, in a game, actions are inappropriate to the situation. And there’s a consequence for it,” Jones said.
“That situation just happens where they make a judgement mistake and decision-making mistake. They just calculate the situation wrong. And as a consequence, they get punished for it.”
READ MORE: Eddie Jones explains why ‘courageous’ Springboks are changing the game
