Sir Clive Woodward doesn’t hold back on Eddie Jones ahead of England and Australia rugby clash

However, Care recently laid bare how difficult Jones was to work under.

In an extract from his autobiography published by The Times, the Harlequins star said his old coach ruled by fear.

England rugby: Sir Clive Woodward has hit out at Eddie Jones ahead of The Red Roses’ clash with Australia on Saturday

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And he also revealed everybody was ‘b****y terrified’ of him, saying: “We used to say to each other, ‘Just remember, boys, everything’s a test,’ as if we were characters in a dystopian novel.

“We’d get given a form to fill out and we’d have to say to any new boys, ‘Don’t put anything on there that he could use against you’.

“If the form asked how you felt, you’d say you felt fine, even if your leg was falling off.

“Because if you didn’t, you’d be worried about Eddie calling you into his office and asking if you wanted to go home.

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“Did Eddie rule by fear? Of course he did, everyone was bloody terrified of him.

“Jonny May probably summed up the situation best: he’d walk in for breakfast, head down, muttering, ‘Expect anything today, boys, expect anything …’”

Care also compared Jones’ era to ‘like living in a dictatorship, under a despot who disappeared people’.

And Woodward, writing for the Daily Mail, has now lashed out at Jones and the stories that have recently emerged.

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“It seems quite clear to me that the Jones era got out of hand, with players unable to say how they felt at the time and no senior figures at the RFU holding the head coach to account,” he said.

“This reflects very, very poorly on those involved.”

He continued: “Care’s allegations over how players like Kieran Brookes and Sam Jones were treated by Jones are immensely worrying.

“It’s not good enough. I was shocked and disappointed to read them.

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England rugby: Danny Care recently dropped bombshells about Eddie Jones in his autobiography

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“It’s remarkable really that Jones had the success he did with England if this sort of behaviour was going on.

“Did the RFU know it was happening? Only they can answer that. But, knowing what we do now, it is astonishing English rugby’s bosses held a review into Jones’ coaching and decided to hand him a new contract.

“The RFU, in the interests of transparency, really should name the people who were involved in that review and came to that conclusion.

“I would love to know whether they were qualified to make that decision in terms of their rugby expertise.

“I’ve no doubt that as current head coach, Borthwick operates very differently to Jones. He too is very demanding but has a far lighter, more empathetic touch.”

England rugby: Sir Clive Woodward believes rugby must take greater care of players in the wake of the Eddie Jones news

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Woodward then called for more checks to be made on rugby players and their mental health. He added: “If one thing can be learned from Care’s honest revelations of the Jones era, it is that regular checks and balances must be made on the international set-up.

“To do so is only healthy. It holds the leaders of the organisation to account and ensures the highest possible standards are maintained.

“I would also urge the players of today to find a voice, however difficult it can be.

“It is all very well making comments several years later in books about how the environment was wrong at the time, but that doesn’t help anyone really.

“Elite sport is a highly competitive environment where you are operating under huge pressure and nobody is perfect. But that togetherness that underpins team sports, and especially rugby, must always prevail.”