Eddie Jones signs 2 year extension.

Jones will now be with England until 2021, unless the RFU decided to end it all early.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/42717813

If you are an England hopeful, who hasn't had a look-in under Jones, then that might encourage you to look for a payday overseas (Cipriani probably topping the list)

Damn you.

I wonder if he fancies a crack with the Lions. Less likely to get the job if he's been out of the game 2 years beforehand.

In fact, I now see he has a break clause in there (based on performance at the WC).

Oh that is good news, made my day.

Definitely a good thing that they are focus on handover to a successor with the 2023 World Cup in mind. Need to be very focused to defend the title.

cascough wrote:I wonder if he fancies a crack with the Lions. Less likely to get the job if he's been out of the game 2 years beforehand.

I just read about the extension. I thought he had been pretty definitive abut staying through the RWC, but not beyond. Now that I see your suggestion about Lions, it does make sense.

The article I read mentions managing the transition to his successor as a reason for the extension, which also makes sense.

it can't be for the lovely weather................

This being Eddie, he will probably overlook all the obvious candidates and find an academy coach whom no-one has ever heard of...

Still, excellent news. Succession planning in rugby coaches is pretty rare, especially at international level, but I like the idea of Eddie effectively having a managed handover to a chosen successor. It sounds to me - given that this is apparently a very recent development - that the RFU have someone in mind that Eddie is happy to work with.

It's good news to me. He's shown a willingness to integrate youth and new players steadily. The only grumbles have generally been from those who swing to extremes and miss having their favourite players on the pitch. No one agrees with every decision but you can see his planning and reasoning. I know we've talkyd of England being s poison chalice but the amount of great youth coming through and depth available must be a blessing to a coach who can handle pressure.

There will come a time if a few losses I'm sure and people will throw their toys out, point to the fact that extensions shouldn't be given prior to a world cup but I like the planning and not thinking purely on the short term.

One question for me is that the next favourite was baxter to take over....Would he work under another coach?

Baxter has no real international experience so far, so if working with Eddie is the price of getting the England job he'd be mad not to want to pick the brains of a guy who's worked with four different international teams, been to three RWCs, made the final twice and won once. He'd be mad not to want it even if the England job weren't on offer.

Two years explicitly focused on transition is a good thing however you look at it, unless England implode totally at some point.

It also struck me that if I were the RFU I'd be trying to craft Eddie a longer term job, probably a very wide ranging one covering coach and player development and mentoring the senior international coaches. It plays to his background and love of education (he's quipped that he'd love to go and coach rugby at a private school after coaching England), and it would be a great use of his skills.

Like Rob Andrew's old job - only for someone who is more interested in the rugby than the administration.