England rugby coach Eddie Jones was 'embarrassed' in front of Eton pupils after teacher chastised him for saying players needed to display 'manliness'

England rugby coach Eddie Jones was 'embarrassed' in front of Eton pupils after a teacher chastised him for saying 'manliness' when asked what attributes players needed.

The coach, 60, was responding to a question from a pupil during an event at the £42,500-a-year-school near Windsor, in Berkshire.

A female staff member told Mr Jones that she thought it was an 'inappropriate word' with the ex-rugby player 'letting it go', according to a parent.

The comments come after a former Eton teacher, Will Knowland, was dismissed over a speech intended for one of the school's 'Perspectives' classes - which are delivered to older students to help them think critically about issues of public debate. 

Eddie Jones, 60, was responding to a question from a pupil on what attributes players needed during an event at the £42,500-a-year-school near Windsor, in Berkshire

A parent told The Times: 'A staff member embarrassed Eddie in front of the boys, saying she thought this an inappropriate word. 

'Eddie behaved as a gentleman and let the moment go, but the night was soured. 

'The boys were furious at such an open breach of the school's tradition of intellectual hospitality.' 

Meanwhile, another parent added that he was respectfully asked to define manliness and that such questions are a necessary part of the events.

It follows a video of a lecture from Mr Knowland, who is at the centre of a freedom of speech row, being posted on YouTube. 

The ex-English teacher at Eton had wanted to deliver a questionable lecture to boys in which he cited incorrect statistics about rape and approvingly quoted an article saying women wanted to be 'overwhelmed by the sheer power of masculinity'. 

A female staff member at Eton told Mr Jones that she thought it was an 'inappropriate word' with the ex-rugby player 'letting it go', according to a parent

In the lecture, named 'The Patriarchy Paradox', he claimed the male role as a 'protector' benefits society as a whole - including women. 

And he warned that 'shaping men and women to be more similar actually exaggerates their differences' - which he described as the Patriarchy Paradox.

He said that a world without men would be 'awful' for women and complains that chivalry and honour - which he labelled as good male qualities - are being driven down by terms such as 'toxic masculinity'.

The virtual lecture, which was never actually shown to students at the school, resulted in Mr Knowland being sacked from his job when he refused to remove it from his YouTube channel.  

Old Etonians slammed the 'woke agenda' at the elite school on Thursday - with around 2,500 people signing a pupil petition calling for the teacher to be reinstated. 

Former Eton teacher Will Knowland (pictured above) was dismissed over a speech intended for one of the school's 'Perspectives' classes'

Mr Knowland has appealed the decision, and a disciplinary panel at the school is considering his fate, although the decision is not expected to be announced for several days.

Many pupils are demanding Mr Knowland's reinstatement, including a boy who was sent home after writing to head master Simon Henderson demanding that he resign.

But other figures, including Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker, who initially supported Mr Knowland, have distanced themselves after learning of the actual content of his lecture.

In a letter to parents sent on Thursday, Mr Henderson denied that he nor the school wanted to 'shut down debate'. 

MailOnline has approached Eton College for comment.