Former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones will step away from the Japanese scene after the Rugby World Cup.

Super Rugby's expansion for next year is under threat because of Japan's slow progress in recruiting players and a coach for a competitive team.

Japan are set to join an Argentina franchise and South African side the Southern Kings in making it an 18-team competition.

But Sydney's Daily Telegraph newspaper reports that contingency plans have been drawn up that involve running a 17-team format without Japan, or going to 16 teams with just the Argentina side, which is well progressed with recruitment and organisation. Another possibility raised was bringing in a late replacement for Japan to keep the 18-team structure.

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The Japanese scenario unfolds as national coach, former Wallabies mentor Eddie Jones, confirmed he would be stepping away from the scene there.

He had been indicated as a possible coach of the Super Rugby side but now seems destined to take charge of the Stormers franchise in Cape Town.

"The [Japan Rugby Football] Union are going to announce this afternoon that I will not be continuing after 2015," Japanese news agency Kyodo quoted him as saying.

"That was always the case as my contract was until the end of the year, so all they are doing is stating the obvious.

"People assumed that as I had been named the director of the new Super Rugby side I would stay on. But that was just an administrative role not a coaching role. All I was doing was help get it set up."

Officials from Sanzar toured Japan earlier this month and raised concerns that suggested a delay in the Asian stronghold's entry could be a possibility.

It seems a power struggle between the wealthy company-based Japanese clubs and the Super Rugby ambitions are at the base of Japans problems.

Sanzar interim chief executive Brendan Morris admitted to the Daily Telegraph that Japan was behind schedule but he said the southern hemisphere body were "very committed" to getting an 18-team Super Rugby competition up and running next year.

"I don't think it is any shock to anybody ... that some of the progress [in Japan} isn't as fast as some of the other teams. That's no secret," Morris said.

"We are currently monitoring that. We are monitoring all three to be honest. With Japan being new they obviously have a fair few more challenges that the other guys haven't had to jump over. We are working with them pretty closely at the moment to try and get them up to speed and get them across the line, which would be great for everybody."

Asked about the various scenarios being looked at, Morris said: "There have been 35 different models going around over the past two years about what Super Rugby would potentially look like but at the moment we are very committed to an 18-team competition, because that's what we want. We intend to get there but obviously the next couple of weeks are pretty crucial."

Morris said the problem for Japan was securing players in a competitive market.

"Players have a lot of choice, particularly in Japan with the Top League competition. The challenge for them is to offer them an attractive package to the players to be part of the team," Morris said.

"They are going through those challenges at the moment in it is a little bit like the UK scenario, where the clubs have a bit more cash and a bit more power than the national union. That's the challenge they are finding at the moment, with enticing the players. They will get there. We'd like them to be advanced than what they are but it is what it is, and we are trying to bridge that gap for them."

Japan beat off a strong proposal from Singapore to win the Asian entry with Jones pleading for their inclusion.