"The reports are 100 per cent inaccurate. There has been no meeting. There have been no talks whatsoever about any position at the RFU," says RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney
Sunday 9 February 2020 22:46, UK
The Rugby Football Union has denied they have held talks with Rassie Erasmus over the possibility of him succeeding Eddie Jones as England head coach.
A report in a South African newspaper, Rapport, says the RFU are exploring the option of recruiting Erasmus, the mastermind of the Springboks' World Cup triumph last autumn.
The 47-year-old was present at Murrayfield on Saturday as England overcame Scotland 13-6 in the Guinness Six Nations, relieving pressure on Jones in the wake of successive and comprehensive defeats.
The first of those was to Erasmus' South Africa in the World Cup final, when England were beaten 32-12 a week after overwhelming New Zealand.
Jones is contracted to remain as England boss until July 2021 and while his future beyond then is uncertain, RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney dismissed talks with Erasmus had taken place.
Sweeney said: "The reports are 100 per cent inaccurate. There has been no meeting. There have been no talks whatsoever about any position at the RFU."
Both Jones and Sweeney have declined to outline publicly the succession plan for when the Australian does step down, or whether he will still be in place at the next World Cup in 2023.
Erasmus is currently acting as South Africa's director of rugby but his success in Japan just 18 months after being parachuted in to rescue the Springboks from an alarming slump has made him a sought-after appointment.
The sighting of Erasmus at Murrayfield fuelled speculation that South Africa were in discussions about joining the Six Nations. However, with South Africa hosting Scotland in July for two Test matches, the trip has been explained by the SARU as a fact-finding mission.
