Jones: Results alone led to my dismissal

Eddie Jones insists he was sacked as Australia coach as a result of a disappointing run of defeats, not because of a player revolt.

Newspaper reports in Australia this week claimed senior Wallabies players, including skipper George Gregan, made critical comments about Jones that started the demise of his reign, which came to an end last December.

But Jones, who has recently been installed as the new coach of Super 14 outfit the Reds, brushed off the claims.

“George Gregan was not the architect of my demise as Australia coach,” Jones wrote in the Courier Mail. “I lost the job because the team lost Test matches.

“George was interviewed as part of the Wallabies’ tour review. All I’d hope is that George was honest with his appraisal.

“If he thought I was the best man for the job, he’d have said so. If he didn’t, he would have said so as well.”

Jones was dismissed as Wallabies coach following a run of eight losses in nine matches and much was made of Gregan’s failure to make a public comment about the decision.

But Jones added: “It never irked me. It wasn’t his role to come out and say I should have been retained or whatever.

“I was totally comfortable with that situation. George was in contact with me privately. It wasn’t a public conversation, nor did either of us want it to be.”

Jones also poured cold water on any notion he had contemplated taking a role among England’s coaching set-up.

“I’ve moved on from coaching the Wallabies, and I’m very pleased to be wearing the koala emblem of Queensland on my tracksuit these days,” he said.

“It was never going to be the red rose of England in the director of rugby role. I was sounded out, it is true, but I’m committed to the Reds as coach.”