‘Eddie Jones is a bully and too many people accepted it’

‘Sport cannot be compared to the normal world’ How much this crossed a line of what is acceptable in a professional sporting environment is a matter of perspective. “He would ask you a question in the meeting which you had discussed the night before and he would say ‘brilliant, mate’ and then in the meeting he would publicly assassinate you.” Perhaps the most infamous story that has done the rounds is of Jones apologising to a coach and giving him a box, telling him: “I’ve bought you a steak, take it home and eat it with your missus. “He psychologically broke so many people for no reason other than his own amusement.” ‘The RFU let him get away with murder’ It is coming up to two years since Jones was sacked after a spell of five wins in 12 games as the RFU’s patience finally ran out. In response to the bullying allegations made by Care, an RFU spokesperson said: “During his time with England, there were no complaints made about Eddie Jones by players either to the RFU or via anonymous feedback surveys or through our confidential whistleblowing service.” This statement is met with incredulity by one former staff member. How did so many people get out of their contracts if there were no complaints?” There is a scenario in which the complaints did not make their way all the way up to the top echelons of the RFU, but, in an echo of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s resignation, there seems to have been a distinct lack of curiosity as to why Jones cycled through an estimated 46 members of backroom staff during his seven-year tenure.