Coles credits Eddie Jones' 'tough love' for launching his England Test career

England lock Alex Coles has credited Eddie Jones with transforming his international career, ahead of the former England head coach returning to Allianz Stadium on Saturday to lead Japan against the side he managed from 2016 to 2022.

Coles, now an established starter in Steve Borthwick’s second row following a strong 2025 summer tour, admitted he was apprehensive when Jones first called him up as a 23-year-old during the 2022 autumn series — a campaign in which he earned his first three caps.

“It was daunting coming in at that time,” Coles said. “As a young player coming through and having not experienced it, you heard all these stories about Eddie. I was certainly apprehensive and he certainly had that aura about him, you felt a little bit on edge around him.”

Despite those nerves, Coles says Jones saw potential in him before he saw it in himself. “In my own head I didn’t really believe that I was ready for that level. He saw something in me and made me believe that I could be at that international level and pushed me to work on my game. Without him seeing that in me it would’ve taken much longer to get to the point where I was ready to play international rugby.”

Coles also recalled a memorable training session ahead of England’s 25-25 draw with New Zealand that autumn, in which Jones tasked him with getting under the skin of the senior players. Assigned to antagonise established names such as Mako Vunipola and Owen Farrell, a frustrated Jones kept urging the young lock to go harder — until Coles resorted to tackling a player in a caterpillar ruck and promptly found himself buried under several starters.

“After that Eddie said I’d trained really well,” Coles recalled.

Jones was sacked at the end of that autumn series following a deteriorating relationship with the Rugby Football Union and a run of poor results, though he remains England’s most successful head coach by win percentage at 72 per cent.

Coles is hoping the 65-year-old receives a warm welcome on his return. “I hope he’s warmly received on Saturday because he played a massive part in English rugby history,” he said. “You could compare him to the football manager Jose Mourinho and people like that who bring their own sort of aura, some controversy and polarisation.”