Eddie Jones returns as Japan coach – with first Test match likely to be against England

Eddie Jones has been confirmed as Japan’s new head coach in his third international job in little more than 12 months.

Just over a year after he was fired as England head coach and just two months after crashing out of the World Cup pool stages with Australia, Jones will retake the reins of the Brave Blossoms, whom he coached between 2012 and 2015.

He will commence his role on January 1 and his first Test match in charge is set to be against England on June 22.

Jones had strenuously denied reports linking him with the Japan position while he was still in charge of Australia. Despite his atrocious record with the Wallabies, who only won two of his nine games in charge – against Georgia and Portugal – and being sacked by England after a run of five wins in 12 Tests, Jones is still revered as a hero in Japan for guiding them to a historic 34-32 giant killing of South Africa at the 2015 World Cup.

He retains strong connections within the hierarchy of Japan rugby, especially with the president Masato Tsuchida, who chose Jones ahead of South African coach Frans Ludeke at a board meeting on Wednesday night. Certainly it feels like a leap of faith to expect yet another second homecoming to end any happier than his return to Australia did.

Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan staked much of his reputation on appointing Jones in place of Dave Rennie, and McLennan was subsequently forced out of his position following a revolt within the governing body, where there is a large feeling of betrayal at Jones’s actions.

It is 90 days since he first rejected suggestions that he was angling for the Japan role after the Sydney Morning Herald reported that he had held a secret job interview via zoom during the World Cup, which quickly became a media circus.

Having lost to Fiji, Australia were then thrashed by Wales as they failed to qualify for the knockout stages for the first time in their history.

Having promised to take the Wallabies back to their former glories, he walked away from the role in October. Now the 63-year-old is set to be unveiled before the Japanese media on Thursday.