Eddie Jones "is expected to be confirmed as the next England head coach within the next 24 hours after he arrived in London" on Thursday to finalize details of his contract with Rugby Football Union CEO Ian Ritchie, according to Gavin Mairs of the London TELEGRAPH. Jones "is understood to have flown to Heathrow from Cape Town" after negotiations with the RFU reached an advanced stage. The RFU has already reached an agreement with the Stormers "to secure the services of Jones, who is only in the first week of a three-year contract with the South African Super Rugby club." Ritchie first made contact with the 55 year-old last weekend and told him that "he was the governing body’s top target to replace Stuart Lancaster but the process is understood to have have progressed rapidly." Jones is currently paid just over £235,000 ($360,000) but it is understood there "is a break clause in his contract" and the RFU is thought to have paid considerably less than the figure of £700,000 ($1M) that the Stormers had initially demanded. The figure "is thought to be closer" to £100,000 ($153,000). The Stormers "are likely to hold a press conference on Friday to confirm Jones’ departure, with John Mitchell, the former All Blacks coach and England assistant coach during Sir Clive Woodwards’s tenure, set to replace him" (TELEGRAPH, 11/19).
WHATEVER IT TAKES: In London, Alex Lowe wrote the Stormers are holding out for £700,000 in compensation but Ritchie "confirmed that he will pay whatever it takes" to land a head coach of "proven international experience" to lead England to the 2019 World Cup. Jones "will have free rein to appoint his own coaching team and is expected to approach Steve Borthwick, the former England captain who worked as forwards coach for Japan." That "could spell the end for Graham Rowntree, who has been a part of England’s management team since 2007, and Andy Farrell, who was brought on board permanently by Lancaster in 2012" (LONDON TIMES, 11/19). Also in London, Robert Kitson wrote this "will be the first time the RFU has appointed a coach from overseas,
although the New Zealander John Mitchell was once Clive Woodward’s
assistant" (GUARDIAN, 11/19). In Sydney, Phil Lutton wrote the Wallabies' Test schedule for '16 "just became a whole lot spicier" with the likelihood of Jones leading England on its three-Test tour to Australia. With Jones expected to replace Lancaster in charge of the English, it would "pit two of international rugby's biggest personalities" against each other "as he squares off with Michael Cheika, the captivating Wallabies mentor who helped Australia to a World Cup final." Indeed, "there was interest from Rugby Football Union rugby powerbrokers in poaching Cheika to replace Lancaster" (SMH, 11/19).
