sport news Eddie Jones expects to be sacked as England coach early next week trends now
Eddie Jones will go into a showdown meeting with his RFU bosses early next week expecting to be sacked as England head coach, following the national team’s dire autumn campaign.
The union hierarchy are conducting an urgent and forensic inquest after England managed just one win in November and an annual return of five victories in 12 Tests.
Chief executive Bill Sweeney and the rest of a secretive review panel will hold talks with Jones on Monday, but sources have told Sportsmail that the Australian is already resigned to losing his job.
Eddie Jones is expected to be sacked as England Rugby coach early next week
The decision is believed to have come after a review from RFU CEO Bill Sweeney
It comes after a poor run of form for England after seven years under Jones' coaching
In theory, the 62-year-old has another opportunity to persuade his employers that he remains the right man to guide England through to the World Cup next autumn. However, he appears to believe the writing is on the wall, after a turbulent week in the aftermath of a damaging 27-13 defeat by South Africa which saw the home team booed off at Twickenham.
Sweeney will make a recommendation to the RFU board on Tuesday, after which a decision will be finalised.
However, it is understood Jones himself has lost faith in the process. It follows claims by his long-time media adviser, David Pembroke, that the union were leaking information — which they categorically denied. Pembroke has since apologised after referring to Sweeney as ‘Slippery Bill’.
Leicester Tigers Director of Rugby Steve Borthwick is one of the contenders to replace him
For Jones, being removed from his post with England would be a sad, abrupt end to his quest to guide the Red Rose squad to World Cup glory at the second attempt — after they reached the final in 2019 but were defeated by the Springboks in Yokohama.
Until recently, Jones appeared to retain the support of the RFU hierarchy, but their mood has shifted markedly during an underwhelming autumn campaign.
Jones launched a remarkable revival when he took over from Stuart Lancaster at the end of 2015 — winning a Grand Slam months after being appointed and going on to a series whitewash in Australia and a record winning run.
But since the last World Cup, England have stalled and fallen behind both the resurgent French and Ireland, recording just two wins out of five in each of their latest two Six Nations campaigns, leading to a growing tide of unrest and calls for a regime change.
Warren Gatland, coach of the British and Irish Lions, is another potential replacement
