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Dual code great Sonny Bill Williams has slammed Eddie Jones as \u201ca disgrace\u201d after the worst kept secret in world sport was confirmed with Japan\u2019s appointment of the former Wallabies coach on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n
Just 45 days after quitting the Wallabies, and following multiple denials of having had any contact with the Japan Rugby Football Union, the JRFU announced Jones would be returning as their head coach on a four-year deal.He was previously coach of Japan from 2012-2015.<\/p>\n
This masthead revealed on September 24 that Jones had taken part in a Zoom interview with the JRFU on August 25, while in Paris with the Wallabies and just a few weeks out from the start of the Rugby World Cup.<\/p>\n
Jones flatly denied having been on the Zoom call, and over the next few months then repeatedly denied, or deflected, any questions about having had any contact with the JRFU or recruitment companies representing them.<\/p>\n
The announcement of Jones\u2019 appointment on Wednesday night thus prompted widespread derision on social media.<\/p>\n
Williams, who was a strident critic of Jones in commentary duties for Stan Sports throughout the Wallabies\u2019 disastrous Rugby World Cup campaign, slammed the newly appointed Japan coach as being \u201cfull of crap\u201d.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Sonny Bill Williams and Eddie Jones<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s quite sad, isn\u2019t it? My thoughts on this whole saga is that he lied,\u201d Williams told Wide World of Sports.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously he lied to the players, he lied to the public, he lied to the Australian rugby union. What a disgrace. I guess that\u2019s my first point.\u201d<\/p>\n Williams told this masthead last month he found Jones\u2019 denials \u201ccomical\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, he had that meeting,\u201d Williams said. \u201cIt says a lot about his character to be honest. It\u2019s comical. I still can\u2019t believe it. I saw straight through his antics and his big-talking. This is a bloke who has a track record of burning bridges. The things that he\u2019s done \u2026 if he was a player, you wouldn\u2019t stand for it. It\u2019s quite nice that they are being held accountable, just like players are.\u201d<\/p>\n Eddie Jones oversaw the Wallabies\u2019 worst Rugby World Cup result.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n Williams, a two-time Rugby World Cup winner, also told Wide World of Sports he felt sorry for Japan.<\/p>\n \u201cHis track record speaks for itself. I\u2019m a big believer in the proof is in the pudding and what is his proof? His proof is he\u2019s been fired, sacked from England in the last few years. He\u2019s burned a lot of bridges,\u201d he said. \u201cI actually feel sorry for Japan that they believe this guy is gonna take them somewhere where his track record shows that he hasn\u2019t been able to do. It seems like he\u2019s a little bit out of touch with what\u2019s going on.<\/p>\n \u201cI guess I\u2019m just speaking from an ex-player\u2019s point of view. I could never believe in someone that I knew was pretty much full of crap. Japanese culture is all built on respect, loyalty, things that he\u2019s shown that he\u2019s not about.\u201d<\/p>\n Williams added there were positives for Australian rugby, because Jones\u2019 departure has allowed the game to \u201cmove on\u201d and rebuild a successful Wallabies team.<\/p>\n \u201cThey have great talent within the squad, I truly believe it,\u201d he said. \u201cDoes he owe Rugby Australia, the public, an apology? I\u2019d say they should be thanking him because he\u2019s left and hopefully things can change.\u201d<\/p>\n Former England player Andy Goode also weighed in on the Jones\u2019 new with a post on X, linking to a clip from this masthead detailing the multiple occasions Jones denied speaking to the JRFU.<\/p>\n \u201cAbsolutely never spoken to them maaaate! Nek minnit Eddie Jones gets the Japan job! A man you can never trust!\u201d Goode posted.<\/p>\n Former All Blacks coach John Mitchell, who was a defence coach with England under Jones in 2019 before quitting in acrimonious circumstances, also sledged Jones\u2019 trustworthiness.<\/p>\n After being unveiled as the new coach of England\u2019s women\u2019s team through to 2025, Mitchell was asked by English media if he would potentially leave the job to take a higher-profile role in men\u2019s rugby, Mitchell said: \u201cI\u2019m not an Eddie Jones. That\u2019s just not going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n Sports news, results and expert commentary.<\/i><\/b> Sign up for our Sport newsletter<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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