Here’s why Eddie Jones’ claims about Japan job are misleading

Tokyo: Eddie Jones dialled into a Zoom meeting from Paris on August 25, two days before the Wallabies played France in a Rugby World Cup warm-up match.

In that meeting room, the title says: “JRFU 1st Round Interviews with M15 HC Candidates.”

Representatives from the Japan Rugby Football Union were interviewing head coaching candidates to replace Jamie Joseph.

Jones joined that meeting to discuss the role as Japan coach from 2024 onwards.

It was clear from that secret meeting that a return to Japan was a distinct possibility.

After being denied entirely for many months, the detail and purpose of that call are now disputed, as part of the damage control spin laid out this week by Jones and his new employers, the JRFU.

Screenshots show the JRFU’s Zoom meeting room titled ‘First round interview, Eddie Jones’, and the personal email address from which Jones accepted the invitation.Credit: Illustration: Aresna Villanueva

They claim it was an “information gathering” exercise between Jones and the recruiting firm, Odgers Berndtson, who were employed to run the JRFU’s process.

This masthead stands by its original story that the August 25 meeting was an interview with the JRFU, based on informed Japanese sources and other strong evidence that suggested Jones was certainly interested in the role.

What isn’t in dispute is that when Jones logged into Zoom from Paris, at the Wallabies’ team hotel near Roland Garros, he was at that moment employed as the Wallabies’ coach, and was less than one year into a five-year contract.

He was also two days out from the Wallabies’ last warm-up game ahead of the Rugby World Cup. Only weeks earlier, Jones had opted for the nuclear option of discarding many senior Wallabies and selecting the youngest and most inexperienced World Cup squad in Australian rugby history.

The decision backfired for the Wallabies in France. And within weeks, Jones had resigned.

On Wednesday night, he was revealed as the new coach of Japan.

Aware the optics of Jones’ appointment might look unfavourable, particularly given Rugby Australia had signed a friendship pact with the Japanese union in July, Jones and JRFU bosses this week presented a narrative that attempted to explain away the steps to their second marriage. Jones previously coached Japan between 2012 and 2015.

Asked by this masthead about Jones’ first interview on August 25, JRFU chairman Kensuke Iwabuchi insisted on Wednesday evening – in a briefing to local media that this masthead also attended – that Jones was only approached via a recruitment agency and did not take part in a first-round interview before the World Cup. They sought Jones’ input because he was a previous Japan coach.

“In fact, there [was] no interview via Zoom,” Iwabuchi said in translated comments. “Odgers Berndtson, the recruiting company, has been in contact with many people. So it is the contact for collection [of] information, but it was not an interview as a head coach selection process.”

Iwabuchi claimed that while some candidates for the Japan job had two interviews, Jones only had one, in December.

At his Coogee Oval press conference in October, while still in charge of the Wallabies, Jones was asked directly if he had spoken with any third-party recruitment firms about the Japan job. “Not that I am aware of,” Jones said.

But speaking on Thursday night, Jones claimed the August 25 Zoom call was a conversation with the recruiters.

“I was asked by the recruitment agency to share my experiences with them on Japan,” he said. “Some people might have construed that as an interview. It certainly wasn’t an interview. The first interview I had with Japan was in December. That’s the only interview I’ve had.”

Eddie Jones with JRFU managing director Kensuke Iwabuchi and president Masato Tsuchida on Thursday.Credit: Viola Kam

The version of events presented by Jones and the JRFU is at odds with evidence obtained by this masthead, via Japanese sources, that shows Iwabuchi and other high-ranking Japan officials on the Zoom call.

Japanese sources not authorised to speak publicly about the process have provided this masthead with screenshots showing that Jones was invited to a first round Zoom interview with the JRFU on August 25 and was a willing participant in the formal process for the role.

The Zoom invitation sent to Jones and other officials is titled: “JRFU: First round interview, Eddie Jones”. The date on the invitation is Friday August 25.

A Zoom link, which comes up in Japanese, is also provided. This masthead has verified the Zoom link, which goes to a meeting room.

Staff members at the JRFU were able to access employees’ calendars and obtain details of the Zoom call.

When news of the Zoom call became public, the JRFU interrogated employees.

In the attendees section, the name Edward Jones appears. Jones accepted the Zoom invitation from a personal email address, which has been verified by this masthead.

This masthead reported on September 24 that Jones always intended on sitting a second interview. Applications for the role closed on August 18, according to a confidential candidate briefing document, obtained by this masthead.

The JRFU were prepared to conduct interviews at the World Cup. Officials were in France, ready to speak to candidates, who may have been nearby.

Once the Herald broke news of Jones’ first interview with Japan, the JRFU pivoted and put all interviews off until after the World Cup.

On Thursday night, the JRFU said no interviews took place during the World Cup.

Asked why it was labelled a first round interview, Iwabuchi told this masthead: “I don’t know what you are talking about”.

He added: “I told you we had a conversation with Eddie Jones and the recruitment company to get information.

“The interview process started after the World Cup. The selection committee made the shortlist after the World Cup, as they confirmed with the candidate if they wanted to apply to, and Eddie was on the short list.”

Odgers Berndtson was contacted for comment.

Iwabuchi said he did not believe the JRFU’s relationship with RA would be strained.

Former RA chairman Hamish McLennan, who was influential in appointing Jones in January, declined to comment.

“I have spoken with Rugby AU directly and informed [them] about this head coach selection,” Iwabuchi said. “This Eddie head coach [appointment] will not affect anything negatively on the relationship between the nations.”

Whether Jones and the JRFU’s damage control narrative is accepted by a deeply sceptical rugby public remains to be seen.

Jones said he feels no guilt about his role in the process and wants to move on to help Japan rebuild. The saga may not fade that easily, however, with Jones potentially going the way of Stephen Bradbury and entering the vernacular.

After being appointed England’s women’s coach this week through to 2025, Jones’ former assistant John Mitchell was asked if he might jump ship if a major men’s role was offered.

Mitchell replied: “I am not an Eddie Jones. That’s not going to happen.”

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