Jones to carry on up to the cup

EDDIE JONES has received assurances he will remain in place as England head coach until the 2019 World Cup however far the current malaise extends.

As Jones, right, began an internal management review yesterday with his coaching staff into the slump that saw England finish last-but-one in the Six Nations, but RFU chief executive Steve Brown gave him a clear run-up to the end of next year’s tournament.

What happens to Jones after Japan 2019 will depend on results there – England are understood to be required to reach the semi-final to trigger a recently negotiated contract extension through to 2021 – but for the medium term he is guaranteed to remain in charge.

“The goal is to have stability and consistency through to the World Cup,” said Brown.

“We are going to have to manage the results as we go but the plan is to get them back to where they were.

“There’s no question that coming fifth is disappointing.

“But it’s worth reflecting that Eddie has an 86 per cent win record with England. You don’t become a bad coach or team overnight. “We were motoring pretty well, we have hit a bit of a bump and now is the time to regroup and reassess and get back on track.” Brown rejected the idea of copying champions Ireland and bringing in a director of rugby above Jones, believing the Australian’s autocratic approach works best unhindered. “The first person that puts Eddie straight is Eddie,” he said.