England archive · Head coach · 1972–1974
John Elders
John Elders, a centre in his playing days, was born in England on 11 November 1930 and went on to serve as England head coach.
His 16 matches in charge place him joint 12th on England's all-time list of head coaches, level with Mike Davis.
His 16 matches in charge place him joint 12th on England's all-time list of head coaches, level with Mike Davis.
Matches in charge16
Won6
England legacy
Joint No.12 on England's all-time head coaches list
Player file
At a glance
- Born11 November 1930
- BirthplaceEngland
- Matches in charge16 Joint No.12 all-time
Profile
A fuller profile of John Elders is on its way from our editors.
In charge of England
John Elders as England head coach
Matches16Points 199–243
Won637.5% of matches
Drawn1Level at the end
Lost956% of matches
Competition by competition
Where the matches came
| Competition | P | W | D | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Six Nations Championship | 12 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
| Test matches | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
Major tournaments
At the finals
No tournament finals in charge.
- First match
- England 3–12 Wales, 15 January 1972 · Five Nations Championship
- Last match
- England 16–12 Wales, 16 March 1974 · Five Nations Championship
- Biggest win
- England 20–3 Australia, 17 November 1973
- Heaviest defeat
- France 37–12 England, 26 February 1972
| No. | Date | Match | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 16 Mar 1974 | 
England 16–12 WalesFive Nations Championship |
Five Nations Championship | England won |
| 15 | 2 Mar 1974 | 
France 12–12 EnglandFive Nations Championship |
Five Nations Championship | England drew |
| 14 | 16 Feb 1974 | 
England 21–26 IrelandFive Nations Championship |
Five Nations Championship | England lost |
| 13 | 2 Feb 1974 | 
Scotland 16–14 EnglandFive Nations Championship |
Five Nations Championship | England lost |
| 12 | 17 Nov 1973 | 
England 20–3 AustraliaTest matches · Test Match |
Test matches · Test Match | England won |
| 11 | 15 Sep 1973 | 
New Zealand 6–10 EnglandTest matches · Test Match |
Test matches · Test Match | England won |
| 10 | 17 Mar 1973 |
England 20–13 ScotlandFive Nations Championship |
Five Nations Championship | England won |
| 9 | 24 Feb 1973 |
England 14–6 FranceFive Nations Championship |
Five Nations Championship | England won |
| 8 | 10 Feb 1973 |
Ireland 18–9 EnglandFive Nations Championship |
Five Nations Championship | England lost |
| 7 | 20 Jan 1973 |
Wales 25–9 EnglandFive Nations Championship |
Five Nations Championship | England lost |
| 6 | 6 Jan 1973 |
England 0–9 New ZealandTest matches · Test Match |
Test matches · Test Match | England lost |
| 5 | 3 Jun 1972 | 
South Africa 9–18 EnglandTest matches · Test Match |
Test matches · Test Match | England won |
Show all 16 matches
| No. | Date | Match | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 18 Mar 1972 |
Scotland 23–9 EnglandFive Nations Championship |
Five Nations Championship | England lost |
| 3 | 26 Feb 1972 |
France 37–12 EnglandFive Nations Championship |
Five Nations Championship | England lost |
| 2 | 12 Feb 1972 |
England 12–16 IrelandFive Nations Championship |
Five Nations Championship | England lost |
| 1 | 15 Jan 1972 |
England 3–12 WalesFive Nations Championship |
Five Nations Championship | England lost |