Current England players and several of the Rugby Football Union’s coaches are understood to have been left shocked and upset by the sudden sacking of two coaches of the national team’s under-18 side.

It is thought that John Fletcher and Peter Walton, who have overseen the England Under-18 programme for the past decade, were informed that they were surplus to requirements on Monday evening.

The popular pair joined the RFU in the summer of 2008 from Newcastle Falcons, where Fletcher was succeeded by Rob Andrew as director of rugby and Walton – a 24-cap Scotland international – had been forwards coach.

Among the numerous players to have worked with them and progressed through England’s age-group system onto further honours are Elliot Daly, Maro Itoje, Owen Farrell, George Ford, Jamie George, Joe Marler, Mako and Billy Vunipola and Anthony Watson among many others.

As recently as this season, Cameron Redpath of Sale Sharks and Ollie Lawrence of Worcester Warriors – both of whom were subsequently called into senior England training camps under Eddie Jones – worked with Fletcher and Walton in the England U18 set-up.