- ‘It is the last chapter for me,’ says England head coach
- Jones rings the changes in latest 45-man training squad
Eddie Jones has ushered in the “last chapter” of his England tenure after revealing his intention to leave the role after the 2023 World Cup by culling four senior players and urging Owen Farrell to “stoke the fires” if he is to resume the captaincy this autumn.
Jones will be England’s longest-serving head coach in history when his contract expires after France 2023 and on Tuesday he said he was embarking on his final two years in the job. Accordingly he has drawn a line in the sand, naming a new-look 45-man squad with George Ford, Billy and Mako Vunipola and Jamie George – who have 276 Test caps between them – all dropped. The squad overhaul bookends an uninspiring two years since the 2019 World Cup with Marcus Smith included, suggesting a changing of the guard at fly-half, Sam Simmonds recalled and 10 players who made their debuts over the summer retained.
