Nick Mallett, front-runner for the position, has withdrawn his availability to coach England, whereas Eddie Jones has stepped up and declared his interests in the position.

Former Springbok and Italy coach Nick Mallett has withdrawn his availability for the England Head coaching position which became available after Martin Johnson resigned.

Mallett released a statement through his management company ProSport international stating he would not be making himself available for England.

“I would like to lay to rest the speculation linking me to the now-vacant England Rugby coaching position” said Mallett in an official statement.

“The RFU contacted me earlier this week to enquire about my availability for the position, should Martin Johnson resign.

Earlier today Martin Johnson announced his decision to step down as England Head coach seemingly opening the door for Mallet to step in.

Mallett said that he was initially interested in the job but has since decided that he will not be taking up the RFU’s offer.

“I had previously expressed my interest in the position publicly and was interested to hear what RFU representatives had to say.

“After mulling it over for a few days and discussing the opportunity with close friends and family, I have decided that I will not be making myself available for the position and I have disclosed this to the RFU.”

“My primary concern is my family – I am happy to have returned home to South Africa after a tremendous 4-year term with the Italian national team.

Mallett’s four year term with Italy came to an end after Italy were knocked out of the Rugby World Cup and Mallett says that he wants to spend time with his family back in South Africa.

“We are settled in Cape Town and it is my wish to be able to enjoy time with my wife and kids after 4 years in Italy.”

“I thank the RFU for making their interest known to me. The job of England coach is one of the most prestigious in world rugby and I wish them all the best in their quest for the best possible man for the job.”

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Former Australia Rugby coach Eddie Jones has declared his interest in succeeding Martin Johnson as England team manager.

Jones currently coaches in Japan and has agreed to assist former Springbok coach Jake White who is now with the Brumbies in Super Rugby.

Jones assisted White in the Springboks 2007 Rugby World Cup campaign and the two have often called on each other to assist.

White’s agent has ruled him out of contention for the England job as he has a four year contract with the Brumbies but Jones is still interested.

“You’d always be interested in coaching England,” he told BBC Radio 5 live.

“It has got a fantastic domestic competition, very, very good players and you have just got to get the right programme in place and they should be good enough to win the next World Cup.”

The fifty-one-year-old Jones said that he would not be put off by the current state of turmoil in the RFU’s senior management.

“Over the last period of time England rugby has lost its way and you’d have to question the people in place now,” Jones said.

“That is the challenge of getting it right. If you get it right, the benefits are absolutely enormous. That is the challenge of it and that is the exciting part of it.

“You’ve got to find the right style of play, just as (Sir Clive) Woodward did over that period (up to 2003), work with the clubs and ensure the players are in peak condition.”

12 Responses to England coaching job – who’s out of the running and who’s in

  • 1

    Seems like the England coaching position is ALMOST as much of a poisoned chalice as the Bokke job…

    In normal conditions, and SARU operates far from that healthy measure, it would now have made logical sense that Nick Mallett would have been hot in the running for the Bokke job… after what I heard yesterday he would not want to touch it with a barge pole….

    Maybe Fikile Mbalula’s public pronounciation of the fact that he does not support quotas will wake the SARU farkers the hell up and an even playing field for applications will be the order of the day…. is that asking too much?

  • 2

    GBS, we have too many people in their ivory towers, for their own benefit, and own agendas. I just hope they appoint a coach for rugby reasons. We all know that PDV had a decent record at age group level, similar to JW, but Hoskins made it known that PDV was not chosen just for rugby reasons. But England choosing Johnson was a bit luck us choosing Carel Du Plessis. Johnson was a legend of a player, but he had no coaching experience. So it looks like even the RFU can make some stupid decisions. Thankfully SARU doesn’t have a monopoly on stupid decisions.

  • 3

    3 @ Lion4ever:
    Let’s call a spade a farking shovel!

    There are too many plonkers within SARU, too many soft cocks!

  • 4

    Well said, GBS. Pity that we don’t have rugby men in charge at SARU. Men that love rugby, want the best for rugby, and that have the business know how on how to run this business.
    Look at what KDK did for the Lions. A business man, but a rugby man heart.

  • 5

    grootblousmile wrote:

    In normal conditions, and SARU operates far from that healthy measure, it would now have made logical sense that Nick Mallett would have been hot in the running for the Bokke job… after what I heard yesterday he would not want to touch it with a barge pole….

    [Translate]

  • 6

    grootblousmile wrote:

    In normal conditions, and SARU operates far from that healthy measure, it would now have made logical sense that Nick Mallett would have been hot in the running for the Bokke job… after what I heard yesterday he would not want to touch it with a barge pole….

    [Translate]

    Pray, tell, would love to hear about your sojourn with the bulls, and all the juicy gossip about the boys upstairs

  • 7

    6 @ Just For Kicks:
    Have you read the Spies is Captain Article’s comments… I say quite a bit there

  • 8

    Read most of it, but felt rather nauseous having to read so much love about the blue billy goats, that I had to stop – even had thought of phoning a kop-doctor to see me right again!

  • 9

    8 @ Just For Kicks:
    Bwahahaha

    Jealousy gets you nowhere!

    Bulls are the only SA Franchise to boast 2 currently serving coaches with Super Rugby Titles amongst them (3 between the 2 coaches)… and a CEO in who’s reign 3 Super Rugby Titles was won.

  • 10

    I still think Mallett is the best coach this country has produced…..he made one blaps….the Teichmann debacle. He is a rugby man through and through and a no nonsense type of guy and he won’t take prisoners, Kitch Christie was a lot like that too. Mallett will not put up with SARU’s nonsense, for that reason only I think he is out of the running. he must have a fair bit of tom put away now and he wants to spend time at home with his family. I think his boys are around sort of University age now or maybe there is grandchildren….he is around about my age (I haven’t researched it). An intelligent guy with wider interests….perhaps he has had enough rugby for a while. It is a revelation to me that England is considering coaches other than Englishmen….that reflects a change of thinking. I was on record 3 years ago as saying a good rugby player does not necessarily make a good coach and Johno has proved that again. he erred in that he had his favourites and he was too close to many of the players having played with them. The British army has a policy of sending a guy to a different Regiment when he gets promoted….there is a reason for that….you decisions aren’t made emotionally. England has the largest amount of registered players….a lot of incredibly talented players and they aren’t world beaters. I reckon there’s two reasons. 1. The self effacement of English people and not wanting to stand out in a crowd a national psyche that does not lend itself to being winners but to always be contenders. 2. Not willing to look for the best man for the job no matter where he comes from.
    If they appoint a quality coach (which Johnno proved 2 years ago already he wasn’t) will he bring out the best in his players….we HAVE NOT seen the best of England yet ever. Just as we have never seen the best of the Springboks in the modern era because of our ridiculous race policies from 1948 right up to now and despite that we have won two world cups. I watch with interest.

  • 11

    4man wrote:

    he is around about my age (I haven’t researched it).

    Date of birth: 30 Oct 1956

  • 12

    New Zealanders are dominating the British betting markets as the race to unearth the next England rugby coach heats up.

    British bookies have been quick to put up odds on who will replace Martin Johnson as the head honcho of the side who failed so badly at the World cup.

    Although Northampton coach Jim Mallinder has been installed as the 2/1 favourite with leading betting companies, the next four names in the running are all Kiwis.

    Graham Henry is as low as 3/1 with Coral, former Blues assistant coach and current Leinster coach Joe Schmidt is the joint third favourite at 6/1 alongside Japanese mentor John Kirwan while former All Blacks coach John Mitchell is at 8/1 with Irish bookies Paddy Power.

    Another former New Zealand coach, Wayne Smith is at 25/1 with Ladrokes.

    Former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones, who is currently coaching Suntory in Japan, was one of the front runners to put his hand up for the post.

    But the bookies are only regarding him as an outsider and with odds between 8/1 and 25/1 among the different companies.

    Most bookies have 2007 Springboks World Cup winning coach Jake White at 12/1.

    Ladbrokes have current Reds coach Ewen McKenzie at 50/1, the same price as Scotland’s coach Andy Robinson.

    Of the other New Zealanders in the market, Steve Hansen – the man likely to lead the All Blacks – is at 66/1 with Coral, while Todd Blackadder is the same price at Ladbrokes.

    Crusaders coach Blackadder is as low as 16/1 with Sporting Bet and Unibet.

    Despite signing a deal to coach Wales through to the 2015 World Cup, Warren Gatland is also 16/1 with Sporting Bet.

    For punters prepared to take a big gamble, the disgraced Mike Tindall is at 1000/1, although chasing the end of a rainbow in search of a pot of gold would probably be more rewarding.

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