Former England manager Martin Johnson. Photo / AP
England will defend the Six Nations title with a temporary coach while its officials embark on a global search for Martin Johnson's successor in an overhaul of English rugby after the dismal World Cup campaign.
The new head coach will be appointed in time for England's tour of South Africa in June, meaning an interim coach will take charge of the national team for the Six Nations starting in February, the Rugby Football Union said today.
"We want to give ourselves the maximum amount of time we can to secure the best possible person to do this job and to make sure we search the world for this person,'' RFU board member Ian Metcalfe said.
Nick Mallett, the former South Africa and Italy coach, and Jim Mallinder, the coach of English club Northampton, are widely believed to be among the front-runners for the job.
Mallett, who has already been approached by the RFU, said recently he would consider taking charge of England only after the Six Nations and didn't want to report to an elite rugby director, but directly to the country's union.
That second barrier appears to have been cleared after the RFU said, as part of a shakeup of its support structures, that the new head coach would report to a chief executive and a board of directors.
The interim head coach will be hired before England's Six Nations squad is announced on Jan. 11, with Stuart Lancaster the coach of England's second-string Saxons thought to be a leading contender.
John Kirwan, the former New Zealand winger who has previously coached Italy and Japan, has also declared an interest in the role.
As part of the overhaul, a senior England manager will be appointed to handle all non-playing responsibilities of the team.
The RFU management board announced the changes to the structure of the national team after meeting to discuss the recommendations made by a review body, the Professional Game Board, that looked into England's disappointing display at the recent World Cup in New Zealand.
Elimination in the quarterfinals by France was England's worst finish at a World Cup since 1999, while the national team was also embarrassed by off-the-field incidents, including stories of drinking by senior members of the squad including vice captain Mike Tindall.
Further embarrassment followed when documents compiled by the RFU, the Rugby Players' Association and the English Premiership clubs were leaked and published by a national newspaper, showing a squad riven by infighting, concerned more about money than ambition, and lacking confidence in the coaching staff.
By that time, Johnson had quit as coach after deciding against seeking to renew his contract for a further four years, through to the 2015 World Cup in England.
With English rugby's reputation at an all-time low, the RFU was forced to make top-level changes and directives.
"The most important thing is to make an apology to everyone involved in rugby for the performance of the World Cup and the surrounding events,'' said Stephen Brown, the RFU's acting chief executive. "We've let ourselves down as a sport and as a team. It's important we recognize that and take some action going forward.
"Standards were below what we expect, we had a number of off-pitch disciplinary matters and that attracted a lot of negative coverage which we regret. We need to fix this going forward and make sure we are in a better place going into 2015 and the report is aimed to do that.''
The RFU's wide-ranging review will lead to the effective demotion of Rob Andrew, whose current role as elite rugby director overseeing all of the country's national teams no longer exists.
The former England flyhalf will take over as professional rugby director, responsible for all the national teams except the senior men's side.
- AP
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