RFU: NEXT ‘EDDIE’ COULD BE ENGLISH

EDDIE JONES could head to next year’s World Cup with his successor beside him in the coaching box.

The Aussie’s contract as England boss is up after the tournament in France and the RFU want the next head man in the system before.

And the union have restated their aim that the new supremo will be English, ruling out the likes of Kiwis Scott Robertson and Warren Gatland plus former Wallabies boss Michael

Cheika.

RFU director of performance rugby Conor

O’Shea said: “The plan for us will be to appoint that coach before summer 2023.

“We’ve got a real brains trust in the English game. It’s brilliant to see and we need to bed into that.”

The union ideally want the incoming chief to have international experience, making Leicester boss Steve Borthwick the favourite.

He assisted Jones (left) with Japan and England.