Smith pulls out of England race

Smith pulls out of England race

16 Feb 2012

World Cup-winning All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith says he didn’t apply for the England job.

Applications for the England head coach post closed on Thursday morning, and Smith confirmed that he didn’t send in his CV. The appointment will be made after the Six Nations in June. Interim coach Stuart Lancaster takes care of the team in the meanwhile.

Smith explained that the timing of the job was the reason he decided not apply. He is currently the assistant coach at the Chiefs for the next two years. If the appointment was made after Super Rugby, it would’ve allowed Smith to end his tenure at the Chiefs a year early.

‘I understand they want to fill the position for the tour of South Africa in June. That timing doesn’t fit in with me so I haven’t put an application in. I said I have a moral obligation to fulfill my time here with the Chiefs,’ said Smith, who added that he’s still interested in a return to coaching Test rugby in the near future.

Reports from England suggested that Smith and former Italy and Springbok coach Nick Mallett were favourites for the job. The coach post is now a likely two-horse race between Mallett and Lancaster.


6 Comments

  • 1.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    16 Feb 2012, 09:28 am

    smithy…genius!

  • 2.mpundulu: Reply to this comment
    16 Feb 2012, 14:45 pm

    The greatest attack coach to ever have graced the game.

  • 3.lost in translation: Reply to this comment
    16 Feb 2012, 15:26 pm

    I would’nt call the England head-coach appiontment “a race”. More like the tv show Wipe-out! You know the poor ******* is going to try, but he wont make it over the big red balls.

  • 4.Markel77: Reply to this comment
    16 Feb 2012, 17:52 pm

    It seems theres no head coach job for this genius, mmmm.

  • 5.mpundulu: Reply to this comment
    17 Feb 2012, 12:46 pm

    The perfect coaching team for England would be mallett looking after forwards and Wayne smith on attack and defense. That would change England around into a powerhouse.

  • 6.Tartan: Reply to this comment
    17 Feb 2012, 19:17 pm

    England job will always be a poisoned chalice until the head office infrastructure is sorted out. They have an extremely good pool of talent and one of the better league systems and yet seem absolutely unable to translate the development to test level.

    If Mallet is to take the job, heads will probably have to roll above him.

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