FELIX JONES IS reportedly set for a shock exit as England assistant coach after just one season in Steve Borthwick’s backroom.

The highly-regarded Dubliner has told Borthwick that he is resigning his role “with immediate effect”, according to an exclusive by Peter O’Reilly in The Times on Saturday, although The 42 understands that Jones’s contract contains a 12-month notice period which the RFU may yet see as a final opportunity to convince him otherwise.

The Times reports that Jones’s dramatic departure is as a result of an “unstable working environment”, and comes hot on the heels of strength and conditioning coach Aled Waters’s exit to join Ireland.

After playing his part in South Africa’s back-to-back World Cup successes in 2019 and 2023, former Ireland fullback Jones joined Borthwick’s coaching ticket as defence coach ahead of the 2024 Six Nations.

England finished third behind Ireland and France, with Jones’s contribution credited as a significant part of the team’s first three-win championship since 2020.