Owen Farrell admitted he was "disappointed" to hear Eddie Jones' tenure as England head coach had come to an end.

The England captain praised the efforts of his former boss, who was relieved of his post after a subpar showing at the Autumn Nations Series. Losses to South Africa and Argentina - which was the first on home soil since 2006 - ultimately were the final nails in the coffin for the charismatic coach.

Jones won three Six Nations titles with England and steered the side to its first World Cup final appearance since 2007, ultimately losing to the Springboks. He now won't have the opportunity to do one better next year in Paris.

His team won just five of its 12 tests in 2022, but for Jones, the focus always has been on the World Cup. The Australian is one of the most decorated international coaches in the business and has a win percentage of over 90% at the prestigious tournament.

Farrell, speaking to BT Sport after Saracens opened its Heineken Champions Cup campaign with a win over Edinburgh, admitted he was "unbelievably disappointed" after hearing the news and thanked Jones for his illustrious service to English rugby.  

"We're disappointed," Farrell said. "Eddie's been a big part of our careers, a big part of my career, and I'm disappointed that it's finished like it has. He's always been a brilliant coach, and for that, I'm massively thankful. We have exchanged a few messages, and hopefully, I will see him."

Farrell pointed out that England's poor run of form was not down to a single individual, but rather the collective.

"It doesn't happen because of one person, it's everyone," he told Chris Jones of the BBC. "We are disappointed it has finished early, and we owe a lot to him. I have been around for a while now and not been around too many changes, both at club and international level. It's not pleasant to go through. I don't think it has come from the players. There is obviously stuff we all want to get better at from the results, but as players, you look at yourself and see what you can do."

The hunt for Jones' replacement is ongoing. 

Leicester Tigers head coach Steve Borthwick allegedly tops the list of preferred candidates, and the RFU reportedly has made contact with the reigning Premiership champions, inquiring as to the availability of the former England forwards coach.

With the Six Nations approaching in the not-too-distant future, the RFU must make its decision quickly, to ensure the role is filled before England faces Scotland at Twickenham on Feb. 4.

Right now, though, the focus for Farrell is the Champions Cup. 

Saracens has won the tournament on three occasions and last featured in the competition in 2020. 

They no doubt have aspirations of adding another trophy to their cabinet this season, but Farrell is acutely aware they must perform better than they did against Edinburgh, if they are to truly contest.

Edinburgh scored the opening try through Luan de Bruin, and it took time for Saracens to warm up. They managed to claw their way back, thanks in large part to an expertly executed cross-field kick by Farrell, which Elliot Daly collected, before scoring.

Another try, this time from Ben Earl, excited the home support at the StoneX, but the ever-reliable boot of Emiliano Boffelli kept Edinburgh just out of reach, meaning the Scottish side entered the break with a four-point lead.

Second-half tries from Alex Lewington and Tom Woolstencroft earned Saracens a bonus-point, but a late finish from Wes Goosen brought Edinburgh within a score. 

The hosts managed to ride out the storm, albeit unconvincingly, claiming their first win of the Champions Cup campaign.

"[We played] average to be honest," Farrell said. "Edinburgh are obviously a great side and really challenged us, especially around the breakdown, but in that first half, it didn't feel like us. I know we're just coming back together, and we don't want to take a bonus-point victory for granted, definitely not, but we've got a long way to go after that performance. So, we'll have a look at ourselves."

Written by Stefan Frost