The Eddie Jones era of England Rugby is considered within the more successful time periods within recent RFU history.
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Jones took over the reins on November 20th 2015, shortly after Stuart Lancaster was ousted following a first-ever pool stage elimination from that year’s Rugby World Cup. England became the first host nation to ever fall out at the first round, with Jones instructed to pick up the pieces from the Lancaster regime.
The Australian made history as the first ever foreign head coach of the England men’s national team, with a four year deal initially signed in 2015. After claiming back-to-back Six Nations titles in 2016 and 2017, and taking England to the Rugby World Cup Final in 2019, Jones added an extension to his deal, initially penned to see him through to after the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
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However, Jones was sacked at the end of 2022, following a turbulent run of form which garnered just five wins from 22 tests throughout the calendar year. He was replaced by current England head coach Steve Borthwick, with Jones’ final match in charge being a 27-13 defeat to the Springboks.
In this article, we are taking a look back upon the last five players Eddie Jones handed England debuts too, and asking the eternal question once again; where are they now?
Whilst some of these five stars have gone on to become main-stays in the England set-up, others have had rather unceremonious falls from the international stage. Lets take a look back at the past five England debutants from the fabled Eddie Jones era of 2015 to 2022.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? 5 LAST ENGLAND DEBUTANTS OF THE EDDIE JONES ERA
WILL JOSEPH
Will Joseph was one of the final players to earn a senior England debut under Eddie Jones, emerging as a highly rated centre from the London Irish system and one of the more instinctive attacking midfielders of his age group. Educated at Millfield, Joseph progressed rapidly through England U18 and U20 honours before breaking into senior contention.
Joseph made his Premiership breakthrough with London Irish in 2021, showcasing sharp footwork and attacking awareness, most notably scoring in the Premiership Rugby Cup semi-final against Leicester Tigers. Eddie Jones included him in the 2022 Summer tour of Australia squad, and Joseph made his Test debut off the bench in Brisbane during England’s second Test win over the Wallabies.
However, despite that promising introduction, he has not featured for England since that tour, and has yet to appear under Steve Borthwick. Joseph’s international trajectory stalled at a pivotal moment, as he was omitted from the 2023 Rugby World Cup squad, missing out on a place in Steve Borthwick’s final 33-man group after featuring in training squads earlier in the cycle.
The decision left him outside the tournament entirely, and he has not yet forced his way back into Test contention. At club level, he rebuilt his momentum after London Irish’s collapse in 2023 with Harlequins, before agreeing a move to Gloucester in 2025. Still only in his early twenties, Joseph remains a player with England potential rather than certainty, waiting for a second international chance to arrive.
