SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: Forget the 2023 World Cup, Jones should be sacked if England lose next game

Not only are England losing, they are going backwards at an alarming rate of knots.

On Sunday, the RFU released a lackluster statement confirming that their review panel will “discuss” the fall campaign.

This is the same anonymous RFU review panel that has been around since 2019. So here we go again. Another year, another review.

England head coach Eddie Jones must be feeling some serious heat from the RFU

Following this year’s Six Nations, RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney was widely criticized for claiming England had made ‘solid progress’ despite finishing fifth.

Though he stopped saying something so ridiculous, the statement was equally horrifying.

A full and fully transparent assessment must be carried out immediately to see where the team stands. As head coach, Eddie Jones has serious questions to answer. Everything must be scrutinized.

Since 2019, when Jones’ England failed to show up in the World Cup final, this anonymous panel has carried out two utterly useless assessments.

For reasons never explained to me, I was never invited to participate in any of these reviews.

The RFU has confirmed their review panel will ‘discuss’ the dismal autumn campaign

At the risk of sounding arrogant, I think I am the most qualified Englishman to conduct an investigation. People might read that and think I’m looking for a job. Nothing could be further from the truth. The role as RFU director of rugby would have interested me 10 years ago, but that ship has long since sailed.

If I were in charge of judging Jones and his team, this is how I would approach it:

■ These assessments must be transparent and those involved must be named. The fact that those on the panel only agreed to be there on the condition of anonymity is pathetic. It sums up the secretive nature of the RFU’s governance, which is mired in the Stone Age.

If you’re not willing to put your name and reputation on the line like Jones, Owen Farrell and the team are doing, then you don’t deserve to judge them.

Everything must be viewed. The coaches and players need to be questioned. Those who analyze the key figures should be called because if they are not, how do we know if they are qualified to do the job?

England trudge off the field after their disappointing 27-13 defeat to South Africa on Saturday

■ The outcome of the assessment should frighten Jones and the team. After being well beaten by a second-tier South African side, Jones said, “I don’t really care what other people think.” What a horrible statement from the England coach. It says so much about Jones and his views on English rugby.

As England coach you have to care a lot about what people think. The RFU has to start hard against Jones, but Sweeney won’t resist. He doesn’t have the rugby knowledge to question his decisions.

Jones needs to feel some warmth from his employers. I would say to him: ‘Forget the next World Cup, if you lose your next game against Scotland in the Six Nations you’ll lose your job.’ If Jones needs to be paid and we need to raise money for it, so be it.

■ Stop talking about the World Cup. It embodies the fun culture of English rugby and is a surefire way to keep your job, no matter how poorly you perform.

England can absolutely win the World Cup next year. But there are problems putting all your eggs in one basket. First, everyone else has the same chance to improve their game. Second, and more importantly, what does it say about English rugby if all we care about is the World Cup?

The team lacks identity and players like Owen Farrell and Maro Itoje seem to be lost

■ The RFU should appoint a Director of Rugby as soon as possible. Sweeney is a rugby fan and nothing more. He is happy to be seen with Jones and the team. Like many a CEO I’ve seen in sports, he’s fallen into the trap of getting involved in the sexy side of the business. Sweeney is not qualified to analyze Jones’ rugby performance and, based on recent history, is also not qualified to compile a panel of experts to assess the team’s performance.

My guess is that after the World Cup the new director of rugby will be Jones and Steve Borthwick will take over as head coach. Sweeney is the man who, together with Nigel Redman, is in the process of appointing Jones’s successor. Whether that turns out to be Scott Robertson, Borthwick or whoever, neither Sweeney nor Redman is remotely qualified to make that call.

■ The current England squad needs to find an identity. The team has completely lost the lead. Guys like Farrell and Maro Itoje seem to have lost their bite.

That comes from the fact that the players know that Jones (below) will remain in charge, that nothing will matter until the World Cup year, and that the majority of them will continue to be elected regardless of results or form.

The players lack the charisma, spark and wit to be successful at Test level. They talk a lot about harmony and how everyone gets along. What nonsense. England supporters want the team to win, not be best friends, especially when they have to pay such exorbitant ticket prices at Twickenham.