Eddie Jones faces World Cup headache with defence coach expected to leave

Another day, another curveball for Eddie Jones to cope with. With English domestic rugby in financial meltdown, it looks increasingly probable the Rugby Football Union will have to hire a new defence coach, with the incumbent, Anthony Seibold, being strongly linked with a return to Australian rugby league as Manly’s head coach.

Seibold, for now, is due to be involved with England for their November internationals but a further coaching reshuffle seems to be on the Twickenham cards. The RFU, meanwhile, might also be interested to hear that Jones does not expect the 2023 Rugby World Cup to be his international coaching swansong. “Definitely not. Well, I can’t guarantee you that but I don’t think it will be. I reckon there’s still a bit to do. There’s still a bit in the tank.”

So much for the 62-year-old’s previously stated desire to go and watch cricket in the Caribbean. For him, World Cup fulfilment will always beat a beachside deckchair so, when his England tenure ends late next year, no one should be remotely surprised if he pops up in 2027 with something other than a red rose badge on his chest.

His current priority, though, is 2023. This time next year the World Cup knockout stages will be looming in France, where Jones helped propel the Springboks to glory as a consultant to Jake White. He would love to repeat the trick with an England side he still feels can improve substantially.

For that to happen, he believes, his squad have to be ready for the unexpected. Jones can still vividly remember the sun-soaked quarter-final weekend in Marseille in 2007 when England shocked Australia and Fiji gave South Africa a genuine fright. “England had suffered a big defeat against South Africa and were struggling. There were all