England head coach Eddie Jones is reportedly on the brink of signing a shock deal to coach the United States rugby union team.
Jones, 62, is almost certain to leave his current role with the RFU when his contract expires after next year's Rugby World Cup, having been in the job since late 2015. But the Australian has made no secret of his desire to continue his coaching career beyond the tournament in France.
Initially, it seemed the outspoken Jones would be switching codes, after expressing an interest in leading the the South Sydney Rabbitohs. During a visit to the Penrith Panthers' training base while on England's tour of Australia, he openly revealed his ambition to work in the NRL, saying coaching the Rabbitohs would be a 'dream' job.
"I like the game," Jones said. "If there was an opportunity there I would jump at it, but the reality is it's probably not going to be there. From the age of five, I've supported Souths. That would be fantastic [to coach the Rabbitohs]. I loved the old teams with Ronnie Coote, Bob McCarthy, John Sattler and Eric Simms."
But in a dramatic twist, the Sydney Morning Herald has reported that he has now on the brink of agreeing a deal to take USA Rugby through to the 2031 World Cup. Whilst the move is not 'set in stone' yet, Jones is said to be close to finalising terms.
The Eagles are currently in crisis having failed to qualify for the World Cup next year following their 16-16 draw with Portugal last Friday in Dubai. The Americans were in the final qualification tournament because, in Colorado in July, they lost a tight game to Chile.
And things have been far from rosy off the field, after USA Rugby filed for bankruptcy in 2020. The organisation claimed to have fallen victim to 'insurmountable financial constraints' during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Jones led England to the 2019 World Cup final only for his team to be convincingly beaten 32-12 by South Africa. And his side have thus far endured the Autumn series, beaten at Twickenham by Argentina before bouncing back with a big win over Japan.
On Saturday, a harrowing defeat seemed on the cards as they trailed New Zealand 25-6. with less than 10 minutes remaining. But late tries from No 10 Marcus Smith and prop Will Stuart [2] helped seal a dramatic 25-25 draw.
