Austin Healey believes England boss Eddie Jones' job is on the line heading into the two final rounds of the Six Nations.
The former Leicester star, who
has been embroiled in a war of words with the Aussie in recent weeks, has looked to ramp up the pressure one Jones.
“The ramifications for this game are enormous,”
wrote Healey in his Column for The Telegraph. “If England lose heavily at home to Ireland then they would have to go to Paris to take on France in the final round – the best French team we’ve seen in a generation, who are still in the hunt for a Grand Slam – and it would be very difficult to see how you talk your way out of those losses.
"It could be another successive fifth-place finish.
“Playing well and losing to Ireland and then losing to France might just about be enough.
"But if England are beaten convincingly – two scores or more – by the Irish and then lose in Paris, then it’s P45 time.”
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England next head coach odds (Oddschecker)
#5. Andy Farrell - 22/1
The irony with Farrell is that he is arguably the most obvious candidate and fits the role as well as anyone, but he might be the toughest for the RFU to land due to his long-term deal with Ireland.
#4. Scott Robertson - 18/1
Roberson is one of the most revered coaches in the southern hemisphere. The 46-year-old is a serial winner and has all the tools to bring back the insatiable winning mentality which has been missing for Eddie Jones' men of late.
#3. Rob Baxter - 10/1
Baxter is rapidly approaching the 12th anniversary of his time in charge at Exeter Chiefs and it may be difficult to prize him away from that. But there is no doubt about his credentials; his time in charge at the Chiefs has seen the club change beyond recognition.
#2. Warren Gatland - 3/1
Should they go in the direction of Gatland, they would get a man with incredible international experience who helped change the face of Welsh rugby during his 12 years in charge of the country up to 2019. With a host of international honours to his name and an already extensive knowledge of English talent thanks to his continued involvement with the Lions, this would arguably be the most risk free option on this list.
#1. Rassie Erasmus - 2/1
He conquered the world with South Africa in 2019 and the only logical next step after such a feat would be to take the grandest and most high-profile job in world rugby. It is not a far-fetched notion, either; reports in the South African press last year suggested that Erasmus had held talks with the RFU about succeeding Jones, which were subsequently denied. He'd also been recently linked with Harlequins.