MY ACCOUNT
England’s results this year are “not where we expect them to be”, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) has accepted, as questions continue to be asked of Eddie Jones’ future as head coach.
The Red Rose lost 27-13 to South Africa at Twickenham on Saturday to round off their worst calendar year since 2008 in terms of results, having lost six of their 12 Tests in 2022.
England were booed off the field after losing to the Springboks, but Jones, under contract until after next year’s Rugby World Cup, remained bullish and said he “does not care what other people think”.
The RFU has made clear England’s form heading into a World Cup year has not been good enough, however, and meetings will now be held to review what changes can be made.
“We would like to thank England fans for their patience and support, it matters to us how they feel,” RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney said in a short statement on Sunday.
“Like them, we are really disappointed with the results of the Autumn Nations Series. Despite strong individual performances and some great new talent coming into the team, the overall results are not where we expect them to be.
“The review panel will hold a series of meetings in the next two weeks to discuss the Autumn Nations campaign and how improvements can be made ahead of the Six Nations.”
England begin their 2023 Six Nations campaign at home to Scotland on February 4 as they seek to win the championship for a fourth time in eight years.
