JONES EXPECTING ENGLAND AXE

EDDIE JONES fears that he is set to be sacked as England head coach, as he gears up for crunch talks with the RFU early next week. The man who has been in charge of the English national team for seven years is resigned to his tenure being brought to an abrupt end after a meeting at Twickenham on Monday. Jones is due to meet RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney and the rest of the union’s largely anonymous review panel to discuss his position, but sources have told Sportsmail that the Australian suspects that he is doomed. Sweeney will report back to the RFU board on Tuesday before a decision is finalised, but there is a growing expectation that a regime change is imminent. If Jones is duly dismissed, following England’s dire autumn campaign, the national governing body will have to fill a crucial vacancy just nine months before the next World Cup — and nine weeks before the next Six Nations. Warren Gatland would be an ideal caretaker coach, but Sportsmail understands that he may already be lined up for a return to the Wales job. And one of the RFU’s

shortlisted candidates to succeed Jones, Ronan O’Gara, has informed the powersthat-be at Twickenham he is staying at La Rochelle. Steve Borthwick remains the short-odds favourite to succeed Jones, with another Kiwi, Scott Robertson, the alternative contender. In theory, 62-year-old Jones 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 against South Africa which saw the home team booed off at Twickenham.

Sweeney is due to make a recommendation to the RFU board on Tuesday, with a view to a decision about Jones’ future being officially ratified. This follows claims by Jones’ long-time media advisor, David Pembroke, that the union were leaking information — which they categorically denied. He apologised after referring to Sweeney as ‘Slippery Bill’. For Jones (right), being removed from his post with England would represent 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 eclipsed by the Springboks in Yokohama. Until recently, he appeared to retain the support of the RFU hierarchy, but their mood has shifted markedly this autumn. 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 a resurgent France and Ireland, with just two wins out of five in each of their last two Six Nations campaigns, leading to a growing tide of unrest and calls for a regime change. Undeterred by the criticism, Jones remains determined to keep coaching international rugby and last month a report in Australia claimed he is destined to take charge of the USA for eight years — up to their home World Cup in 2031. However, that scenario is far from certain and in the short term, in the event that he is sacked, Sportsmail understands that he is unlikely to accept any immediate offers and instead will take a break before seeking a new mission from early 2024. As reported by Sportsmail yesterday, one short-term solution being considered by the RFU if Jones is sacked would involve the union’s director of professional rugby, Conor O’Shea, stepping in as caretaker.