Eddie Jones Head Coach of England looks on before the Rugby World Cup 2019 Final match between England and South Africa at International Stadium Yokohama on November 02, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. Picture: JUAN JOSE GASPARINI / GALLO IMAGES
“We were beaten by a better team, but I’m so proud of the players,” he insisted after finishing as the losing coach for the second time in a World Cup final. “I’m disappointed there’s such a negative attitude about our performance,” bristled Jones, noting that he had taken a team that crashed out in the pool stage four years ago to the brink of a first world title in 16 years.
“If I knew, I’d be able to fix it,” he snapped after England lost in a World Cup final for the third time after heartbreak in 1991 and 2007, when they were beaten 15-6 by SA and Jones had a consulting role with the Springboks. He dismissed opposite number Rassie Erasmus’s theory that the English pack had come into the decider fatigued, while SA’s split of six forwards — dubbed the “bomb squad” — and only two backs on the bench allowed the Boks to replace their hulking pack for the last half-hour of games.