There is Only One F in Foley: Felix Jones England departure a pre-season chess move
Andy Farrell is the most likely reach out to the double-RWC winner - for Lions duty
Felix Jones's parting company with England after less than a year as part of Steve Borthwick's backroom team is the pre-season chess move to defeat all the pre-season chess moves.
The former Leinster and Munster full-back coached at Munster before being head-hunted in 2019 by Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks - from where he became a double-Rugby World Cup winner.
He is now the world's most accomplished rugby coach available for hire.
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However rumours of a built-in 'gardening leave' clause in his England contract make it unlikely he will be slotting in anywhere, at international level at least, until nearer the New Year.
Consequently, his next port of call will almost certainly as part of Andy Farrell's backroom team on the 2025 Lions Tour To Australia
The timing of the Dubliner's coming up for air after the 'gardening leave' triggered following freeing himself from England Defensive Coach duties will come exactly as Farrell begins his own serious planning ahead of his first Lions tour as Head Coach.
But it is particularly bad timing for the IRFU given the position the national side and the provinces are currently in.
The plans are already in place for Simon Easterby to lead Ireland through the 2025 Six Nations with Paul O'Connell stepping up to assistant, John Fogarty remaining Forwards Coach, and the newly-appointed Andrew Goodman coming in as Skills Coach (replacing Mike Catt).
Leinster have one of the world's successful coaches, Leo Cullen, while his planned long-term successor double-RWC winner Jacques Nienaber is already in place.
Munster's Graham Rowntree has turned the province around and delivering the 2023 URC title, overcoming massive odds and problems, sees his future assured for almost the rest of the decade.
Besides Denis Leamy has, via Ireland U21, Leinster and Munster, emerged one of the most respected young coaches in the country while the Reds are believed to be holding a post open for Peter O'Mahony on retirement at the end of the season.
Leamy-POM is seen as a ticket-selling dream team down the line for the cash-strapped province in need of a sustained surge in ticket sales.
Over at Ulster, Richie Murphy is just beginning his first full season, a coach regarded by the IRFU as the potential successor to Andy Farrell.
The situation at the Cinderella Province, Connacht, is that Pete Wilkins is deemed to be doing a fine job on the budget provided - a budget that does not cater to or appeal to coaches with Jones's CV.
Besides it is not clear whether club coaching, after the rarefied international atmosphere Jones has sampled, would appeal - certainly an assistant role would a considerable come down.
Rather if the Irishman exit from England was calculated, the timing is right for the Lions who are currently setting about collating CVs.
The Lions Head Coach appointment is announced early in the year before the next Tour, Farrell being confirmed as far back as last January 2024 but the backroom staff have, traditionally, not been revealed until the April before touring.
Farrell leaves the Ireland set up on a six-month sabbatical following the November series - it is clear the Series work starts to begin just as Jones is coming on stream.
Coincidence? Hardly. Unless there is a helluva an amount of chess moves about to be revealed..,
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