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Amor and Ryles exit as Jones and England take action following disastrous Six Nations
By Liam Heagney
Eddie Jones will come under added pressure to rejuvenate his struggling England team after assistant coaches Simon Amor and Jason Ryles stepped away from their respective specialist attack and skills roles in a move that has resulted in Jones taking on the attack brief himself for the upcoming series of matches against Scotland A, USA and Canada.
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Crowned Guinness Six Nations and Autumn Nations Cup champions in 2020, England suffered a severe slump in form in recent months and finished fifth in the Six Nations, an outcome that led to an in-depth RFU review.
That report was completed last month with the RFU standing by Jones who is contracted through to the 2023 World Cup in France. However, the fallout from that campaign has now resulted in the departure of Amor and Ryles from the coaching ticket – Amor exiting via what the RFU describe as mutual consent and Ryles due to pandemic restrictions.
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For England’s next block of games, the team will be led by Jones, along with his two assistants John Mitchell and Matt Proudfoot. Jones will temporarily take in the attack coaching while recruitment starts to bring in a long-term replacement.
Amor, the ex-England 7s boss, had only been in the senior team attack role since the start of 2020. Ryles, meanwhile, joined England as their full-time skills coach last October after finishing up at the NRL Melbourne Storm. However, he wasn’t hands-on in recent months due to remaining in Australia while the Six Nations unfolded.
Eddie is keeping busy/broadening his horizons. #whereiseddiethisweek https://t.co/YaLxnBy1e4
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 13, 2021
Amor said: “My seven-and-a-half years with the RFU has been a fantastic experience. Leading the England 7s programme to success, including all we achieved culturally, and bringing together the men’s and women’s game, is something I look back on with real pride.
“I will always be grateful to Eddie for providing me with the opportunity to coach my country’s senior XVs team and to further develop my skills amongst some of the best and most experienced players and coaches in the game. I take with me some brilliant lifelong memories and friendships. I want to thank everyone at the RFU for their professionalism and support and I look forward to taking all I’ve learned into the next stage of my career.”
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Ryles added: “Due to the ongoing challenges of the global pandemic, the uncertainly around international travel and in the best interests of my young family, I have made the difficult decision to leave my coaching role with England. I would like to sincerely thank Eddie Jones and the RFU for the opportunity to be part of the organisation and coaching staff.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as part of the England team and have learnt a lot in a short period of time. It has been a privilege to have had the opportunity to work in a world-class programme and alongside Eddie and some of the best rugby players in England. I wish the team all the best for their upcoming summer tour.”
Jones said: “I’d like to thank Simon and Jason for their contributions to England. I would like to commend Simon’s outstanding diligence and his hard work, and I have no doubt he will find a role soon that suits him perfectly.
“With Jason, the Covid-19 restrictions have proved too difficult for him and his family to overcome, which we fully understand but are disappointed for us and the team. They both leave with the best wishes of everyone involved with England and for their future pursuits in the game.”
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The 20-year-old has broken his silence on last October's high jinx and how it affected him https://t.co/11ElD0bHyC
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 14, 2021
