Less than two weeks after saying he would honour his contract to lead the Wallabies until the next Rugby World Cup on home soil, the former Japan and England coach said he had agreed on terms with Rugby Australia relating to his exit.

Jones told the paper that his decision came as imminent changes to the system underpinning the ailing sport in Australia looked unlikely to transpire in the short term.

The youthful Wallabies squad he selected exited the Rugby World Cup after a campaign that included back-to-back losses to Fiji and Wales in the earliest departure from the global showpiece for the twice-world champions.

He returned to coach Australia in January after being sacked by England last December but managed only two wins – against Georgia and Portugal – in nine matches.

Jones has been dogged by reports during the Rugby World Cup that he had been interviewed for a return as coach of Japan, the home nation of his mother and wife, which he has repeatedly denied.

“I haven’t got any job offer…I’ve been living apart from my wife because she lives in Japan,” Jones told the newspaper.

“I want to spend a bit of time with her. I want to stay married. I think at 63, I don’t want to get divorced.”

From December, he said he would “like to coach another international team, I’d like to coach one more team. One more cycle.”

Contacted by Reuters today, Rugby Australia said there was nothing to comment on or confirm.