Eddie Jones hints at new move: I’ll be back “very shortly,” says Jones

Eddie Jones told the media after his defeat to Wales as Barbarian managers that he expects to announce a new job “very shortly.” 

Former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has been out of work for just over a week, but he is apparently close to getting back in the saddle and taking a new position. When asked by the press directly about whether he will coach again, the 63-year-old said he will have something to announce “very shortly.”

Jones jokes with media after Barbarians loss

Following his resignation from the Wallabies job Eddie Jones took the helm of the Barbarian for a one-off match between the Baa-Baas’ and Wales. After the match, the 63-year-old manager briefly spoke to the media at the Principality Stadium. Jones’ future was the main point of discussion.  
 
Jones was first asked about whether he would be interested in taking over the British & Irish Lions rugby team ahead of their 2025 tour of Australia and New Zealand. The former England coach firmly denied any interest in that position and then joked that the media should not believe Warren Gatland when Gatland says he is not interested in returning to his post as Lions coach.   
 
After that, Jones was asked about his current plans. “I’m going to take a bit of a break,” the former Wallabies manager said. When pressed about whether rugby fans should expect Jones to be in another position soon, the 63-year-old grinned and said “A hundred per cent, hundred per cent … very shortly, very shortly.” 

Japan job likely for Jones

No one knows exactly what job Jones was hinting at when he cheekily spoke to the media post-Barbarians match, but we are pretty sure we know where the 63-year-old will be plying his trade next.  
 
Jones, who is half Japanese and previously coached Japan, has been continuously linked to the Cherry Blossoms side. Some reports even claim Jones attended an interview with Japan rugby during Australia’s disappointing World Cup in France. Jones has denied these rumours.  
 
The betting sites are not offering odds on Jones’ next job. If they were, our money would firmly be on Japan.  

“Other forces at play” behind Wallabies resignation

Jones’ resignation from his post as Wallabies top boss has rightfully shook the world of rugby. The 63-year-old had signed a five-year contract with Rugby Australia to be the Wallabies manager for the next two World Cups. While the results definitely were not in Jones’ favour, such an early exit was no doubt surprising.  
 
The veteran coach described his exit in an interview following his one-off stint as Barbarian coach. Jones declined to give specifics about why he left his post. Instead, he hinted at “other forces at play” which stopped him from executing his plan for changing Australian rugby.  
 
“I went in with a plan and a commitment from Rugby Australia on what that looked like. And when the unity of where we were going wasn’t the same…then the only thing I could do was resign.” 

Despite Jones’ falling out with Rugby Australia, he is confident about the Wallabies future. "They'll be alright, mate," he said of the future Wallabies. "Those players are going to be much better because they've had experience, they've had a tough World Cup campaign and sometimes you need that.”