Eddie Jones will return to Twickenham next May following his dismissal as England coach as he takes charge of the Barbarians against a World XV.

The Australian was sacked less than a year out from the Rugby World Cup after overseeing a dismal 2022 in charge of the national side.

Though the Rugby Football Union has not yet moved to find a successor ahead of the tournament in France, Jones has lined up a new gig and will lead the invitational side for a second time.

Having previously coached them in 2019 – and having lost to them earlier this year in a 52-21 defeat – the 62-year-old is relishing the opportunity to do so again.

"It's an incredible honour to be asked to coach the Barbarians for a second time," he said.

"The club showed during the autumn that the values and traditions which make the Barbarians so special are still very much alive.

"Fans can expect to see two top-quality teams, packed full of international players, going all out to catch the eye ahead of the Rugby World Cup.

"I am very much looking forward to returning to Twickenham Stadium – a venue I have so many fond memories of – as head coach of the Barbarians, and I'm more motivated than ever to put on a show."

Steve Hansen, who won the 2015 Rugby World Cup, will lead the World XV, which will reunite him and rival Jones in what they hope will be an entertaining contest.

"Going up against Steve rekindles a great rivalry which first started in our days competing in Super Rugby and progressed into the international arena," he added.

"It'll be a great challenge and one I'm sure we're both relishing."

England captain Owen Farrell has called the decision to sack Eddie Jones as head coach "unbelievably disappointing".

Jones won three Six Nations titles and took the team to the 2019 Rugby World Cup final during his seven years as head coach.

However, he was relieved of his duties on Tuesday after a run of form that has seen England win just five of their 12 Tests in 2022. 

The announcement comes with just nine months to go until the World Cup, while England are due to get their Six Nations campaign underway against Scotland on February 4.

The decision to sack Jones has been a polarising one, with former England back-row James Haskell labelling  it "utter madness" and insisting Jones was the best coach he had played under.

Farrell is the latest to speak out on his frustration over Jones being fired, telling the BBC: "It's unbelievably disappointing.

"Eddie had been a big part of England Rugby for a long time now and he has been one of the best coaches I have ever had so, for that, I'm massively thankful.

"We are disappointed it has finished early and we owe a lot to him. I have been around for a while now and not been around too many changes, both at club and international level. It's not pleasant to go through.

"I don't think it has come from the players. There is obviously stuff we all want to get better at from the results but as players you look at yourself and see what you can do."

Farrell explained he had spoken to Jones since the announcement, adding: "We have exchanged a few messages and hopefully I will see him [again]."

Eddie Jones says his next step will be "the right job at the right time" following his England exit, as rumours of a return to the Australia national set-up rumble on.

The coach was dismissed on the back of a frustrating 2022, less than a year out from the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.

As England move to find his successor, with Leicester Tigers boss Steve Borthwick considered the frontrunner, talk has swirled over Jones potentially linking up with the Wallabies.

The 62-year-old however is happy to wait on his future, having also mooted a cross-code switch to rugby league, and suggests he will not rush into a decision.

"Everyone knows I love a scrap, and I'm up for whatever challenge is next," he told the Sydney Morning Herald. "I'm open to looking at everything in rugby, and I've made no secret of my wish to give the NRL a go, too.

"Nothing is off the table. Nothing. It's all about the right job at the right time, and I'll look at it all."

Reflecting on his departure, Jones acknowledged his pride for his England achievements, while stressing he will not adapt to please his cynics.

"In this job I've learnt it's impossible to avoid being moved on," he added. "It comes with the gig. But I'm proud of what we accomplished in my time here, and I wish I had the opportunity to finish what I started.

"All the critics are having their say. My only response is that I have coached a certain way my whole career and I'm happy with that. I'm not about to change anything."

Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan confirmed he had contacted Jones on Saturday, but refused to disclose what he had discussed with him.

Jones previously led his home country between 2001 and 2005, and was in charge when they lost the 2003 Rugby World Cup final to England.

Eddie Jones should have been given until the conclusion of next year's Rugby World Cup to turn England's results around, according to former centre Mike Tindall. 

The Australian was dismissed on Tuesday following a review of recent results, with England enduring their worst calendar year since 2008 – winning just five of their 12 Tests in 2022.

A 27-13 defeat to South Africa proved to be the final straw for Jones, who walks away with the best win rate (73 per cent) of any head coach in England's history, having won 59 of his 81 Tests at the helm.

While Tindall acknowledges the reasons behind the decision to make a change, he would have preferred for Jones to lead England at the World Cup in France, which starts on September 8.

"It's a really difficult one because Eddie does divide opinion," Tindall, who won the World Cup in 2003, told ITV.

"I would say I don't agree with their decision to part ways, [but] I understand why they've done it.

"I still think he's still delivered an 18-game winning streak and he's produced probably the best England performance that's ever been seen against New Zealand in 2019.

"If you look from 2019 to where we are now, the results aren't quite as good, so it really is a difficult one, but I would've stuck with him and then changed after the World Cup."

Jones guided England to their first Six Nations Grand Slam in 13 years in 2016 before winning the tournament again in 2017 and 2020, while also reaching the 2019 World Cup final.

The 62-year-old also won his first 17 games with England, which was part of an 18-game winning streak overall, the joint longest of any Tier 1 nation.

Forwards coach Richard Cockerill will step up to lead England on an interim basis, with Leicester Tigers head coach Steve Borthwick the favourite for the permanent position.

Tindall added: "I think it's hard now. Say a new coach comes in now and does fantastically well through the Six Nations and then the World Cup, everyone will say it has Eddie's DNA on it. 

"It will be sort of like what he got off [predecessor] Stuart Lancaster when he came in too, and then if you do poorly, it's the new guy's fault."

England's decision to sack head coach Eddie Jones nine months before the Rugby World Cup is "utter madness", according to former back-row James Haskell.

Jones' fate was confirmed on Tuesday following a review by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) into recent results.

England have endured their worst calendar year since 2008 in terms of results, having won just five of their 12 Tests in 2022, most recently going down 27-13 to South Africa.

Despite a disappointing year, however, Jones bows out with the best win rate (73 per cent) of any head coach in England's history, having won 59 of his 81 Tests at the helm.

Haskell, who played under Jones prior to retiring in 2019, believes the Australian should have remained in the position until his contract expired after next year's World Cup.

"Personally, I think it's utter madness," he told Sky Sports. "You've literally taken the most successful World Cup coach and binned him nine months before a World Cup.

"He's been to three World Cup finals [two as head coach, one as a technical adviser], he's won one [with South Africa as technical adviser, 2007] and lost two."

Jones led England to their first Six Nations Grand Slam in 13 years in 2016, then won the Six Nations tournament again in 2017 and 2020, while also reaching the 2019 World Cup final.

He won his first 17 games with England, which was part of an 18-game win streak overall, the joint longest of any Tier 1 nation.

The 62-year-old will be replaced by forwards coach Richard Cockerill on an interim basis, with Leicester Tigers head coach Steve Borthwick the favourite to take over permanently.

"The best thing is, the person [the RFU] want to replace Jones with at this point in time, and obviously it's an ever-movable feast, is not available," Haskell added. 

"So you're going to put someone else in charge for the Six Nations who hasn't been an international coach.

"All because of some grumpy old journalists, and miserable fans, who decided to gang up to get rid of him. It's pretty much the story of the modern world."

Borthwick worked alongside Jones with Japan and England before taking over at Leicester in 2020 and guiding them to the Premiership title last season.

While Haskell questioned the decision to replace Jones, fellow former England player Ugo Monye has backed Borthwick to succeed if he is appointed.

"If he is the man, I think it is a great appointment," Monye told Rugby Union Weekly. "We don't have nine months to experiment, we have nine months to nail our identity.

"He gets it. He understands the personality of the game at the domestic level, what the players want, what the fans want, it feels like a necessity to connect all that together."

Eddie Jones leaves behind a legacy of "misguided rhetoric and unfulfilled promises" following his dismissal as England coach, says Clive Woodward.

The Australian was sacked nine months out from the Rugby World Cup after overseeing the nation's worst calendar-year record for over a decade, winning just five out of 12 Test matches.

With Jones having led England to the final of the last tournament in Japan in 2019, the Rugby Football Union's (RFU) decision represents a major gamble so close to next year's competition in France.

But Woodward, a frequent critic of Jones over a difficult year, feels he has paid the price for his distractions since defeat to South Africa in Yokohama. 

"He's a much better coach than he has shown over the past three years," he wrote in the Daily Mail. "He is a shadow of the Jones I competed with and whose first years with England were so successful and rightfully applauded.

"He became completely focused on the 2023 World Cup and that was a costly error. He lost focus of simply winning the next game and allowed himself to get distracted

"What will [his] legacy be? The semi-final victory over New Zealand was his best performance, but unfortunately, he will be remembered for the misguided rhetoric and unfulfilled promises.

"I don't think history will remember this period of English rugby too kindly."

Leicester coach Steve Borthwick, who steered his side to the Premiership Rugby title last term, has been tipped as a likely successor to Jones in charge of England.

But Woodward says that, if selected, the RFU must allow him to put his own stamp on the team, including bringing his Tigers assistant Kevin Sinfield, the former rugby league playmaker, into the fold.

"If it is Steve Borthwick who comes in, then we've all got to get behind him and I wish him all the best," he added. "He must be given the full support and resources to ensure there are no excuses.

"He must be allowed to bring in his own team, and if I was him, I would bring Kevin Sinfield over from Leicester. The players will have a second chance and there is enough talent out there to go and win next year’s World Cup."

South Africa winger Sbu Nkosi says he has been "curled up in a ball" amid his disappearance, after the World Cup winner was found "safe and sound".

The Bulls, Nkosi's domestic team, confirmed the 26-year-old had been found after discovering his whereabouts on Monday, with the club having had no contact with the player since mid-November.

Nkosi, a member of the Springboks team that claimed victory at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, was not revealed to be missing publicly until his team confirmed they had filed a report over the weekend.

But now he has revealed he has been staying with family, disclosing he has taken time away to deal with mental health struggles.

"I'm a lot better," he told News24. "There's obviously a lot to speak about that I can't say out loud, but my condition is improving.

"It's just been a whole lot of mental pressure. It's been building up for a couple of years now. 

"There's too much to go into: the expectations, the fact that by choosing to take care of myself right now, there are people I'm letting down, and that also hurts me.

"There's a lot, but I'm at a point where I need to prioritise the person before the rugby player right now. I just needed time. I've basically been curled up in a ball with my dad, and he's been managing my mental state daily."

Bulls CEO Edgar Rathbone revealed he met with Nkosi on Monday, and said the club would provide their full support to the winger over the coming period.

"We were thrilled to find Sbu and incredibly relieved to see that he was alive," he said in a statement. "Equally, we were saddened to see him in the state that he was in.

"I am however confident that we are in a good position to provide Sbu with the support he needs and that we should acknowledge his incredible courage to even say to us, that he is not okay.

"We are lucky today but tomorrow, our intervention may be too late and that is not something we want to see become a reality."

England have sacked head coach Eddie Jones following a review of recent performances, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) has announced.

Jones had been in charge since becoming England's first foreign coach in November 2015 and was due to end his long reign after the Rugby World Cup next year.

However, on the back of a disappointing Autumn Nations Series, the RFU has decided to make a change just nine months before the tournament gets under way in France.

"I am pleased with much that we have achieved as an England team and I look forward to watching the team's performance in the future," said Jones in a statement.

"Many of the players and I will no doubt keep in touch and I wish them all well in their future careers."

RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney said after last month's 27-13 loss to South Africa at Twickenham that results "are not where we expect them to be".

England have endured their worst calendar year since 2008 in terms of results, having won just five of their 12 Tests.

The Red Rose were booed off the field after losing to the Springboks at Twickenham, but Australian Jones remained bullish at the time and said he "does not care what other people think".

Despite a 2022 to forget, Jones bows out with a record of 59 wins from his 81 Tests at the helm, with a win rate of 73 per cent – the best of any head coach in England's history.

Next on that list is Jack Rowell (72 per cent), followed by Geoff Cooke and Clive Woodward (both 71 per cent), the latter having regularly called for Jones to be dismissed.

Jones led England to their first Grand Slam in 13 years in 2016, then won the tournament again in 2017 and 2020, while also reaching the 2019 Rugby World Cup final - which was won by South Africa.

He won his first 17 games with England, which was part of an 18-game win streak overall, the joint longest of any Tier 1 nation.

Leicester Tigers head coach Steve Borthwick, one of Jones' former assistants, is considered the favourite to land the job, while Richard Cockerill will run the men's performance team on an interim basis.

Warren Gatland is "under no illusions" he has to deliver for Wales otherwise he risks damaging his legacy upon his return as head coach.

Wayne Pivac was relieved of his duties on Monday by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) after defeats against New Zealand, Georgia and Australia last month.

That opened the door for Gatland, a three-time Six Nations winner with Wales, to make a sensational return to the role Pivac replaced him in after the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Gatland, whose first stint with Wales lasted 12 years, will take charge in the Six Nations, the World Cup in France next year and potentially through to the 2027 tournament in Australia.

The 59-year-old reached the top of World Rugby's rankings with Wales in his final year and acknowledged he must achieve similar success on his return.

When asked if his second appointment could damage his reputation, Gatland said: "That's the exciting thing about it, isn't it?

"If you're a flop and fail... I'm under no illusions what the expectations are in the next 10 months.

"I've always loved the challenge, I've always loved going into environments where there are expectations and hopefully exceeding those expectations.

"That's part of professional sport, there are ups and downs. You live by your results and performances.

"I'm excited about it, but there are pressures and risks. I'm confident I can come in and hopefully make a difference and get a side together who are proud to put that jersey on, and when they go out there and represent Wales in front of home fans they're prepared to die for that jersey.

"Those are my expectations and I don't expect anything less from the players in terms of what it means to play for Wales – the history, the expectation.

"If we can achieve that in a short period of time, I think that will give us the best opportunity to be successful."

The New Zealander inherits a Wales side that have won just three of 12 games in 2022, though he is relishing the challenge in store after leaving Super Rugby side the Chiefs.

"I can hit the ground running. Obviously, there's a new group of players," he added.

"There's a process I've got to go through over the next few weeks and get a real feel for the place again, so it's like 2007-2008 and coming in completely cold.

"That's a massive advantage I've got in terms of knowing Wales and the set-up. I can come in and hopefully be seamless in stepping into the role."

As for his long-term future with Wales, Gatland remains focused on getting his side into shape for the World Cup, which starts on September 8.

"At the moment my immediate focus is between now and the World Cup, and afterwards it's myself and Steve Phillips [WRU chief executive] talking about possibilities going forward," he continued.

"During that 10 months we've got to be showing we've made progress and we've been successful, and then potentially other opportunities arise from that.

"That's how we are at the moment. There's no certainty, but I'm comfortable with that, so if the next 10 months is not successful then you are involved in professional sport and know what the consequences are.

"I'm comfortable and confident that I can come in and make a difference, and create an environment we can be successful in. If that happens then potentially other discussions may take place.

"But I'm not looking past the next 10 months, I'm not looking past France."

Luke Cowan-Dickie will end his England career after the Rugby World Cup next year by joining Top 14 heavyweights Montpellier.

The hooker, who has won 42 England caps and three for the British and Irish Lions, will end his 12-year spell with Exeter Chiefs to move to France at the end of the season.

Cowan-Dickie follows his Exeter team-mate Sam Simmonds in making the switch from Sandy Park to Montpellier.

"It's gutting to be leaving," said the 29-year-old, who has made 163 appearances for the Chiefs.

"I've been at the Chiefs for 12 years and it's all I've known. That said, this opportunity came up and it was one that I had to think long and hard about. I spoke a lot with my family about it and it wasn't an easy decision to make in the end.

"Obviously, it's a different competition, a different language – which I'll have to learn – but I think it's time for a change.

"Hopefully, I've still got plenty of years left in my career, but this is an opportunity for me to go over there and show what I am all about."

Fellow England international Joe Marchant has also joined the exodus of Premiership players to France, the centre opting to join Stade Francais next season from Harlequins.

South Africa winger Sbu Nkosi has been found "safe and sound" after being reported as missing last week.

Nkosi's club the Bulls revealed on Sunday there was "grave worry" for the 2019 World Cup winner after he had been absent without leave for three weeks.

The Pretoria-based club opened a missing person case with the police, but on Monday revealed good news on the 26-year-old.

A Bulls statement said: "The Blue Bulls Company and the Bulls family are happy to confirm that contracted player, Sbu Nkosi, has been found safe and sound.

"After lengthy and extensive efforts from the Vodacom Bulls, in collaboration with SSG – who have gone beyond their commercial responsibility – at 14:02pm on Monday 05 December 2022, Nkosi was located.

"Once it was established that Nkosi was safe, unharmed and in a position to speak, chief executive Edgar Rathbone went into Nkosi's home (with the permission of the player), spending alone time with him, to understand how best the company can provide him with the support he needs and what that support is.

"As the Bulls family, we are thrilled that Nkosi is safe.

"We wish to extend a vote of thanks to all the members of the public who shared information that contributed to our search. We wish to also express a word of thanks to the international community who also joined the call and efforts in searching for Nkosi.

"At this present moment, we cannot give further comments on the matter."

Warren Gatland has agreed to make a sensational return to the Wales head coach role after Wayne Pivac was relieved of his duties.

Pivac paid the price for defeats against New Zealand, Georgia and Australia last month.

New Zealander Pivac replaced his compatriot Gatland after the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, but has fallen short of expectations.

Gatland, who had such a successful first 12-year spell serving Wales, will leave his position with Super Rugby side the Chiefs to take charge in the Six Nations, the World Cup in France next year and potentially through to the 2027 tournament in Australia.

Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) CEO Steve Phillips said: "This is one of the toughest calls to make in sport, but the review process has reached its conclusion and we have acted quickly and efficiently in the very best interests of our national team.

"Ultimately we are in the results business and we have agreed with Wayne that the current trajectory for Wales is not where we want it to be and we thank him sincerely for his time, enthusiasm, diligence and effort, which is unquestioned, as head coach over the last three years."

Gatland masterminded Six Nations Grand Slams in 2008 and 2012, then won the Six Nations in 2019.

"I'm very much looking forward to returning to coach Wales," said Gatland.

"This is an opportunity to achieve something with a talented group of players in a country so passionate about rugby. A country which made my family and I so welcome, when we first arrived 15 years ago, and all the time we were there.

"Our immediate priority is obviously the 2023 Guinness Six Nations and next year's Rugby World Cup.

"There is little time for sentiment, professional sport is all about preparation, values and results. There will be new challenges as there always is with a change in head coach, but for me the environment, the players and their families will always come first.

"We must prepare to the best of our ability in the time available. We will value and respect each other, we will work hard and, if we get this right together, performances and results will follow."

There is "grave worry" for Sbu Nkosi after the World Cup-winning winger was reported missing by his club the Bulls.

The 26-year-old flyer, who was in the South Africa squad that lifted the World Cup in Japan three years ago, has been absent without leave from the Pretoria-based club for three weeks.

Nkosi has been capped 16 times but missed the tour of Europe last month due to a rib injury.

A statement from his club said: "The Blue Bulls Company can confirm that Bulls contracted player Sbu Nkosi has been absent without leave for the past three weeks. Nkosi's last known contact with any executive, management or playing squad member is Friday 11 November 2022.

"After numerous failed attempts, which include but are not limited to phone calls, texts messages, calls to relatives, partner and close friends as well as four house visits to his known place of residence, the company took the decision to open a missing person case with the Brooklyn Police Station (which was subsequently transferred to Sunnyside Police Station), in Pretoria on Thursday 17 November 2022.

"This resulted from the grave worry and concern of everyone at Loftus as well as the need for the expert assistance of the South African Police Services.

"We appreciate both the public and media interest in the matter, as we all share the same concerns about the player's safety. However, we ask that you understand that we cannot make any further comments on the matter as it now sits with the South African Police Services."

England head coach Eddie Jones has hit back after criticism from Clive Woodward.

The team's former head coach called for England's situation – including Jones' position – to be "scrutinised" should they fail to beat Scotland in next year's Six Nations opener.

England suffered a 27-13 defeat to world champions South Africa on Saturday, having also recently been beaten by Argentina at Twickenham, with doubts growing over their credentials ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup following a poor showing during the Autumn internationals.

With just one win in November against Japan, England's schedule concluded with a loss to a Springboks team missing key European-based players.

Woodward led England to the 2003 Rugby World Cup crown and he believes Jones' position should be under threat ahead of the latest Rugby Football Union (RFU) review, writing in his Daily Mail column: "England are not just losing, they are going backwards at an alarming rate of knots.

"A full and totally transparent review must be done immediately to look into where the team are at. As head coach, Eddie Jones has serious questions to answer. Everything must be scrutinised."

Speaking to Men's Health UK, Jones issued a sharp response, claiming he is currently at the peak of his coaching powers.

"I feel sad for him [Woodward]," he said. "If that is the best thing he has to do in his life, then he hasn't a lot to do.

"I'm 62 now and I think in pure coaching terms I am coaching better than I ever have. Results aren't always perfect, but I'm happy with how I have been coaching.

"After this, I want to do something really meaningful. I've enjoyed England a lot, it was a bit of a rescue job at the start, now rebuilding, and I am confident I will leave things in good shape."

Jones has already said he will leave the role after next year's World Cup.

Chris Robshaw is convinced Eddie Jones remains the right person to lead England at next year's Rugby World Cup and drew comparisons to Gareth Southgate's success in football.

The Australian endured a difficult November campaign, with defeat to South Africa in their final game capping a worst calendar year performance for the team since 2008.

With the sport's showpiece tournament set to kick off in France next September, England have 10 months to try and play their way into form and go one better than their run to final in Japan in 2019 where they were downed by the Springboks.

Robshaw acknowledged it has been a bruising year for England but believes Jones is the right man for the job, likening him to Three Lions boss Southgate, who has defied critics twice in major tournaments.

"I have been in these situations and the autumn can be tough because you are playing against the best teams in the world," he said at the launch of the Robshaw Kerslake Foundation he has set up with wife Camilla.

"It is about taking your medicine and thinking, okay, in this competition and in this series we weren't quite good enough, but we can come back stronger.

"We also have to learn to move forward, you can't look down on it too much because there are still positives to come from it, and we need to think about how we can be better next time we meet.

"They were saying the same thing about Gareth Southgate and the England football team and now look at how they have played in this World Cup, they have been superb so far.

"In sport, things change very quickly, and I very much believe Eddie is the right man to lead the squad.

"From my experience, he is the best man-manager I have ever worked with and his ability to make players better and better.

"He is someone who will definitely go away and study what went right and very much importantly, what went wrong and why it didn't work.

"He will want to go back out there and prove people wrong, and I have no doubt he is the right man."