George says England can still be rugby winners without Eddie Jones
Captain says team operating in more inclusive environment ahead of Australia clash
London: Jamie George has insisted England can be successful in the post-Eddie Jones era despite operating in a “more inclusive environment” than the one created by the controversial coach.
Jones’s methods have been criticised in Danny Care’s recently published autobiography, with the 101-time capped England scrum-half, who retired from Test duty earlier this year, saying “everyone was bloody terrified” while the veteran boss was in charge.
Care added the England regime of Jones, twice in charge of his native Australia and now in a second stint coaching Japan — who play France in Paris on Saturday — was “like living in a dictatorship, under a despot who disappeared people”.
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Jones was sacked by England in December 2022 following a run of poor results with the less abrasive Steve Borthwick, his former deputy with Japan and England, taking charge.
England, however head into Saturday’s match against Australia at Twickenham having won just four of their nine Tests so far this year.
That run includes an agonising 24-22 defeat against New Zealand in their November opener at Twickenham last weekend, a match where they yet again lost the lead in the final quarter.
But the England captain said life under Jones was a mixed bag. “Everyone has their own experiences. I lived it with Danny at the time, I knew how he felt about it,” George told reporters at England’s training base on Thursday.
“Eddie was someone who never wanted to sit still, always wanted to get better and pushed people. It was challenging at times, of course it was, and I understand what Danny is saying.
“Equally, what he said in his book is Eddie was one of the best coaches he worked with and that runs true. Eddie did brilliant things for English rugby.
George Furbank; Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Henry Slade, Ollie Lawrence, Tommy Freeman; Marcus Smith, Ben Spencer; Ben Earl, Tom Curry, Chandler Cunningham-South; George Martin, Maro Itoje; Will Stuart, Jamie George (capt), Ellis Genge.
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Fin Baxter, Dan Cole, Nick Isiekwe, Alex Dombrandt, Harry Randall, George Ford, Ollie Sleightholme.
Coach: Steve Borthwick (England).
Australia
Tom Wright; Andrew Kellaway, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Dylan Pietsch; Noah Lolesio, Jake Gordon; Harry Wilson (capt), Fraser McReight, Rob Valentini; Jeremy Williams, Nick Frost; Taniela Tupou, Matt Faessler, Angus Bell.
Replacements: Brandon Paenga-Amosa, James Slipper, Allan Alaalatoa, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Langi Gleeson, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Max Jorgensen.
Coach: Joe Schmidt (New Zealand).
“We got to a World Cup final in 2019 and we probably live with regret that we didn’t win that.”
George added: “We won a Grand Slam and a couple more Six Nations — that is the sign of a good coach to me. You have got to reflect on the good times and the bad.
“Eddie was very clear in his ways and what I know is that now we have got a much more inclusive environment in which we can challenge and accept and speak to all the members of staff.”
'Greatest memories of my career'
Care, however, suggested the fallout from the 64-year-old Jones’s harsh regime was the cost of success.
“He gave me some of the greatest memories of my rugby career — that came at a price. Maybe it had to be that way to get the success that we had,” he said.
But George, who has won six English Premiership and three European titles with Saracens, disagreed.
“I don’t think necessarily there is always a cost to winning. I don’t believe that,” he said. “I have been part of teams that create really positive environments, Saracens being one of them.”