Japan Coach Eddie Jones: Heavy Defeats Are Necessary for Development

Japan’s coach, Eddie Jones, stated that his team needed the significant losses experienced during their northern hemisphere tour. This tour marked Jones’s first return to Twickenham since his dismissal as England head coach in 2022, a match where Japan allowed nine tries. Since Jones assumed leadership in January, his coaching record has reached seven defeats in 11 Tests, with England, France, and New Zealand each defeating the Brave Blossoms by margins of 40 points or greater. Jones commented, “They’re the sort of experiences this team needs.” He added, “I know you’re all sitting there thinking we got beat by 50 points, but they’re games we need to actually learn.” Jones further explained, “The big challenge now is how quickly we can learn.” He concluded, “There is a gap between where we are and where we need to be, and we just need to keep working.” Following Japan’s failure to advance past their pool stage at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Jones has introduced numerous new players, though this strategy has not yet yielded positive outcomes. In contrast, during the autumn of 2022, Japan’s schedule was comparable, yet they experienced narrower defeats of seven points against New Zealand and 18 points against France. Their 52-13 loss to England in 2022 also represented a slightly better result than the 59-14 defeat they endured on Sunday. Jones’s leadership approach during his six-year tenure leading England has faced scrutiny. Jones, who has assembled a distinguished backroom coaching team featuring former South Africa second row Victor Matfield and ex-All Black Owen Franks, has expressed confidence in his ability to guide Japan to their inaugural World Cup semi-final at Australia 2027. Jones possesses a notable World Cup track record, having led his home country, Australia, to the final in 2003 and served as a coaching advisor for the triumphant South Africa team in 2007. In his initial period with Japan, he oversaw an unexpected win against South Africa in 2015, and subsequently guided England to the final in 2019. Nevertheless, his record was marred at France 2023, where he coached an Australia team that experienced the country’s first-ever elimination at the pool stage.