Although England boss Eddie Jones has been backed by the RFU to retain his role at the Rugby World Cup France, it hasn’t stopped the bookies calling the odds on who would take over from him should he leave the role.
Despite the RFU saying they want the next boss to be English, William Hill have Warren Gatland 3/1 favourite to be England’s next coach.
Exeter boss Rob Baxter comes next at 10/1, while Kiwi Scott Robertson is 18/1 and Leicester’s Steve Borthwick is available at 5/1.
Ireland’s Andy Farrell is 22/1 and Pat Lam is 20/1. If you want a long shot, Jonny Wilkinson is a 33/1 bet, while Sir Clive Woodward is 50/1 to reprise his former role.
Ireland legend Ronan O’Gara has also said he’d be interested in the role, but isn’t among the odds offered yet.
Latest odds to replace Eddie Jones
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. Steve Borthwick – 5/1
Having taken charge of the Tigers in 2020, Borthwick has overseen a huge turnaround at the club, transforming them from Premierships strugglers to pace-setters at the top of the table.
As such, his is a name very much linked to the England post.
#1. Warren Gatland – 2/1
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.
Jonny Wilkinson Has Been Voted The Greatest Ever Rugby Player In History
20. Sergio Parisse (Italy)
19. Johnny Sexton (Ireland)
18. Jason Leonard (England)
17. Zinzan Brooke (New Zealand)
16. Sonny Bill Williams (New Zealand)
15. Lawrence Dallaglio (England)
Lawrence Dallaglio facts:
- Already a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours
- Warren Gatland has said that Dallaglio was “The best captain that I’ve ever been involved with.”
- He is one of a very small number of players to have won both the Rugby World Cup and Sevens World Cup
- Dallaglio married his long-time girlfriend, Alice, in 2005. They have two daughters, Ella and Josie, and a son, Enzo
- He has also received an Honorary Doctorate from Buckinghamshire New University for services to sport