England delay call on coach
30 Nov 2011
The Rugby Football Union will not name a new permanent England coach until after the 2012 Six Nations.
Current assistant Graham Rowntree and Saxons head coach Stuart Lancaster will take charge in the interim. The RFU will continue to search for a permanent solution, and are expected to name Martin Johnson’s successor before England’s tour to South Africa next June.
Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder and former Italy and South Africa coach Nick Mallett are believed to be the front-runners.
Meanwhile, Rob Andrew will remain in the RFU as elite rugby director, but he won’t be involved with the senior team. Reports from England confirm that Andrew will instead have responsibility for other representative sides and the relationship with Premiership Rugby, which run the domestic game.
15 Comments
30 Nov 2011, 16:12 pm
If the RFU can get rid of Rob Andrew by then, Mallett will probably take the job.
30 Nov 2011, 16:40 pm
gonna be mallet
farkit
30 Nov 2011, 17:34 pm
Mallett is 1000% better than Ashton and Johnson combined.
30 Nov 2011, 18:34 pm
Mallet wanted 6 months off to recharge… and England are taking 6 months to make an announcement. Hmmmmm – sounds like they have made their decision!
30 Nov 2011, 18:35 pm
They are just keeping it open for PdV to apply
30 Nov 2011, 18:59 pm
So it’s Nick…..pregnant pause for the 6N…..
30 Nov 2011, 19:44 pm
Andrew, has been shifted sideways. He will now responsible for all England teams except the seniors.
Mallett post 6N
30 Nov 2011, 20:35 pm
@PaulLondon(PaulLondon)-7: common-sense prevails, Andrew retained with senior team responsiblity taken away from him.
Now for Nick…sorry g10
1 Dec 2011, 01:20 am
Agreed, getting rid of Andrew is the key. Serious candidates like Mallet/Wayne Smith will have no interest if they have to report to Andrew.
1 Dec 2011, 06:50 am
Nick Mallett would be the ideal choice considering he has spent so many years already in the Northern Hemisphere and knows the players.
On the flip side if Mallett succeeds with the Poms then we would have a true perspective of where Italian Rugby is right now.
1 Dec 2011, 07:57 am
I find it strange that Rob Andrew has been made Dr Evil in this Austin POwers comedy…
Martin Johnson was not his choice of coach, so why should he be held responsible for what happened… Those who apparently forced Johnson onto Andrew should be men enough to stand up and be accountable for their insistence on Andrew appointing MJ…
Why should Andrew resign for the mistakes of those who pushed Johnson as the saviour of English rugby…?
Obviously never met the guy… but through his playing days and every time I’ve seen him interviewed on TV… I’ve always been impressed by his demeanor and dignified manner in which he conducts himself… He’s never struck me as the devious, cowardly man some are now trying to portray him as…
1 Dec 2011, 08:13 am
we gonna have to suck hind t it again….devastating, Boks just always get the second tier coaches….sad man…sad
1 Dec 2011, 09:26 am
@Upho(ufo)-11: i’m also still to be convinced that this RA cat is the “monster” he is made out to be. the english just love as scapegoat, especially their media.
1 Dec 2011, 15:35 pm
yawn, who cares. useless team barely won anything worth winning.
2 Dec 2011, 10:41 am
@Upho(ufo)-11: Johnson was the real cancer in the team. He never had a clue how to coach any team, let alone a national team. Nobody can blame Captain Extreme though, so Andrews becomes the scapegoat.
@grant10(grant10)-12: Yup, Mallett is an excellent coach and the poms are starting to slowly deliver some very good young talent. He could very well build a very strong team. It’s the first decent coach they’ve had in some time…
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