RFU set to name English successor to Eddie Jones before 2023 World Cup

Bill Sweeney, the Rugby Football Union chief executive, intends to appoint an English successor to Eddie Jones, in effect ruling out a move for a big-hitting overseas replacement such as Warren Gatland or Rassie Erasmus.

Sweeney has given his backing to Jones – whose contract runs through to the 2023 World Cup – to continue despite a torrid Six Nations campaign and though the Australian’s position will be kept under constant review the RFU’s plan is to appoint his successor next summer. The new coach could even work under Jones at the World Cup in France before taking over.

Sweeney also revealed the union has set up a “war room” to assess the credentials of all English coaches, working domestically and abroad. While Andy Farrell and Shaun Edwards fit into the latter category, a move for either coach appears difficult considering the intention is to make an appointment in the lead up to next year’s World Cup, when they will be immersed with Ireland and France respectively.

The RFU’s criteria would best suit someone such as Steve Borthwick, formerly Jones’s assistant and the head coach at Leicester, who top the Premiership table.

Erasmus has recently expressed interest in the role after next year’s World Cup and Gatland, the former Lions and Wales coach, is seen by many as the ideal candidate. Sweeney, however, explained that the RFU intends to take a homegrown route and that he had not approached the New Zealander about the job.

“We believe we’ve got such a wealth of English coaches in the game,” said Sweeney. “As a leading rugby nation we should be developing English coaches and an English style of play. That should be long-term and therefore the preference would be to have an English setup as far as I’m concerned. We’ve