Eddie Jones: RFU boss Bill Sweeney 'disappointed' but sees progress under England head coach

Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney said he was really disappointed by England's Six Nations but still backs Eddie Jones.

There were calls for Jones to step down, but Sweeney says he is the right man for the job.

The RFU should have been more aggressive after the defeat by France.

England finished third in the Six Nations after winning just two games in a row.

The RFU's initial response to England's poor Six Nations could have been better, according to Sweeney.

We could have said that we are deeply disappointed and that you are as well.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Sweeney said: "We are all, as an organisation and to a person, incredibly disappointed with what happened this year in the Six Nations."

We demand more from England in terms of their results and their performances. Our emotions have been running high. It still feels raw.

Jones has 'absolute belief of players'

In the tournament, England scored eight tries, less than the 12 they scored in 2021.

The RFU backed Jones after Saturday's 25-13 defeat by France, saying he is building a new England team with young stars like Marcus Smith, Freddie Steward and Harry Randall coming through.

Winning two this year compared to winning two last year is not progress according to Monye and Sweeney.

We were okay with that statement because we feel we are heading in the right direction.

Sweeney said that Jones has the absolute belief and commitment of the players and that he is the right person to take us through.

We will continue to review as we go through.

Do we have the right setup? Do we have the right people? Are we going to progress or not?

We think we are going in the right direction as we transition and rebuild this team.

'We are not looking at World Cup to detriment of Six Nations'

Jones was criticized for saying that England's Six Nations losses were a good learning experience for younger players as they build towards the World Cup.

This approach was disrespectful to the Six Nations, according to former British and Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton.

I would not agree with the idea that England was focusing too much on the future.

The Six Nations is the best tournament in the world. The players wanted to win.

It just so happens they are en route to the World Cup, but we are not looking at the World Cup to the disadvantage of the Six Nations tournament.

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