England rugby squad ‘believe in Eddie Jones,’ insists Bill Sweeney

Under-fire England head coach Eddie Jones has been endorsed by RFU CEO Bill Sweeney despite another dismal Six Nations showing.

For a second-straight campaign the Red Rose suffered lost more matches (three) than they won (two) – with Eddie Jones ‘ side this time finishing a distant third behind Grand Slam winners France and second-placed Ireland.

England bookended their campaign with an opening defeat at Scotland before going down 25-13 to France in Paris on Saturday.

Pressure is mounting on head coach Jones after a second-straight poor Six Nations season

With the Rugby World Cup taking place in France in 18 months’ time, scrutiny is increasing on the England setup and especially Jones’ management.

Sportsmail columnist and 2003 Rugby World Cup winning coach Sir Clive Woodward has been very public on this website about Jones, as has a member of that squad in Lawrence Dallaglio.

But despite the mounting pressure, Sweeney looks set to stick by Australian Jones – insisting he has the support of the players and that a bright future is only around the corner.

‘We do feel there’s been some real positive developments,’ said a defiant Sweeney on Thursday.

‘We do feel we’re on path the right direction.

England lost three matches during this year’s Six Nations for the second season in a row

‘The players believe in the head coach… believe he’s taking them in the right direction.

‘We’re very excited by developments we know we’re going to get a better.’

Sweeney did concede though that he understood frustrations from fans over England’s false new dawn during the Six Nations. 

‘We are all, as an organisation, incredibly disappointed… you’d expect more,’ he admitted.

‘There is a great deal of frustration and disappointment, we understand why the fans are expecting more.’

England Rugby World Cup winner Dallagilo has ripped into the current team and its management, lambasting them for living in ‘cloud cuckoo land’ after another underwhelming Six Nations campaign.

‘He [Jones] has tried to paint the rosiest of pictures, but it’s a disappointing campaign for England,’ he said on his Evening Standard Rugby Podcast.

‘If it hadn’t been for Italy’s victory [over Wales], England would have probably finished lower down the table. It is another losing campaign that didn’t start well and didn’t finish well.

‘There are some serious fault lines in that team and that squad and anyone who doesn’t think there is, is living in cloud cuckoo land. 

‘To score only two tries in three games and generally play the way they have played, fans have got every right to ask the question.

‘We have heard in an RFU statement, no name to it as usual, they think this England team is making solid progress and they were suggesting that Eddie is building a new team against their clear strategy. I would argue I haven’t seen a hugely clear strategy.

‘Eddie seems to think that they are only three per cent off where they need to be. I was never good at maths, but I know they’re a long way away from being three per cent off.’

Dallaglio’s remarks are in a similar vein to Woodward’s cutting words about the RFU setup. Woodward, who coached England to Rugby World Cup glory in 2003, has expressed his concerns about the organisation.  

‘I fear we are witnessing a return of the RFU old boys’ club – or the ‘old farts’ as Will Carling famously described them – as they try to close down legitimate debate on Eddie Jones’ future,’ he wrote in his column for Sportsmail.

‘It is all smoke and mirrors and it’s not serving the needs of English rugby, which is the only thing that counts.

‘The irony of course is that the RFU’s ham-fisted attempts to draw a line under this season have only ignited people’s fury… and suspicion. England are badly underperforming and this is not going away – no matter how much they wish it would.

‘On Sunday, Twickenham cranked out a remarkable press release just hours after England had lost in Paris, their third defeat of the Six Nations. They also lost three of five games last season, lest we forget.

‘In the press release, he or she – we have no idea who it is, only an RFU spokesperson which is just so gutless – stated that the RFU were ‘encouraged by England’s solid progress’, a frankly absurd comment that has been rightly ridiculed.

‘Is this really the view of everyone at the RFU? I think not. Ugo Monye – one of the fairest and least hysterical pundits on the circuit – called it ‘dishonest’ and I concur entirely. The RFU are deliberately trying to mislead the rugby public.

‘To have the word ‘dishonest’ levelled at the RFU is unprecedented but unfortunately in this case totally accurate. Well done Ugo for having the bottle to say so.’