Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney has said he'd be "amazed" if axed England head coach Eddie Jones wasn't at next year's Rugby World Cup in France.
Jones was stood down earlier in December following a discouraging dip in results after seven years with the Red Rose. The 62-year-old received a 'six-figure' sum after he was fired with a year left on his contract, which did not contain a non-compete clause.
It means the three-time World Cup finalist is free to link up with any of England's rivals should they come to an agreement, with a return to the Wallabies fold among the top moves circulating of late. Jones coached Japan at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, meanwhile, and still maintains a consultant role at club outfit Tokyo Sungoliath.
