Eddie Jones gave himself a herculean task Thursday when he was introduced as Brave Blossoms head coach for the second time.
The 63-year-old, who led Japan to a thrilling run in the 2015 World Cup before quitting abruptly, laid out a vision in which the country's divided rugby world is united in a mission to give the Brave Blossoms both an identity and sustainable success as he steers Japan toward the 2027 World Cup.
"In 2019, Japan made the top eight, and in 2023, didn't make the top eight, so that's an obvious target," Jones said. "But I think there are more important things than that. We can establish a team that can be sustainably successful at playing its own game. I think that's, to me, the major target."