? Both coaches expected to be interviewed on Thursday
? Brian Smith eases World Cup pain with London Irish return
Nick Mallett flew back to England on Tuesday and is due to be interviewed on Thursday for the head coach role of the national side. The former coach of South Africa and Italy suggested at the weekend that the job was already in the hands of Stuart Lancaster, who has revived England after their calamitous World Cup campaign, but the caretaker can take nothing for granted.
The Hertfordshire-born Mallett is known to want to recruit Wayne Smith, part of New Zealand's World Cup-winning coaching team last autumn, and Rassie Erasmus, who worked alongside Peter de Villiers during South Africa's unsuccessful campaign in New Zealand. The former Springboks flanker Erasmus recently resigned his job as a senior coach for the Western Province union, citing possible "opportunities at a higher level".
It will clearly be no shoo-in for the much-admired Lancaster, who is also due to be interviewed on Thursday. Toby Booth, the head coach at London Irish and touted as a possible replacement for Martin Johnson after the World Cup, has no doubts as to Lancaster's credentials. "He will get the job and deserves it," Booth said.
Meanwhile, another coach who has wintered in the southern hemisphere is back sporting a healthy tan, which he has not picked up here despite the sunshine at London Irish on Wednesday afternoon. Brian Smith has flown back to England after spending the past four months in his native Queensland. The 45-year-old Smith has rejoined London Irish to revive his partnership with Booth. His return has been unheralded in a period in which Lancaster's job application has been boosted by impressive victories over France and Ireland but could revitalise London Irish.
It has also raised eyebrows. Smith was the England attack coach during the World Cup and admitted on Wednesday that he could not watch any rugby for a month after the World Cup and still has not watched a recording of England's quarter-final defeat by the French. The fallout from the campaign was toxic and Smith was harshly criticised by some England players in leaked reports in the Times. Among other things Smith was described as not being "inventive enough".
During his first period at Irish between 2005 and 2008, however, Smith and Booth were the guiding lights behind the most successful period in the club's history. Irish reached a Premiership final and the semi-finals of the Heineken Cup. They were fourth in the Premiership this Christmas but have slipped to ninth as they prepare to face the challenge of one of Smith's former clubs, Leicester, this Sunday.
"My view was that after the World Cup we had anonymous views aired in a flawed process. It was not balanced and totally negative. The Times never reported the glowing stuff, just the negative stuff. The paper clearly had an objective. But has my confidence suffered? Look, I'm 45. I've been a coach all over the world. I've played Test rugby, I've played in the NRL. No, it has not.
"Things were tough after the World Cup and things were messy. I couldn't watch rugby in Queensland. Then I went to see the Queensland Reds and the Broncos and slowly fell in love with the game again. I got a serendipity call from a director at London Irish a couple of weeks ago and I flew back. My family lives in London and I didn't hesitate in taking the job.
"My short-term objective is to challenge the coaches and add some enthusiasm to take us through the final five games. I've told everyone we are all on the bus together. I've been with Toby and Mike Catt in the trenches before. We've had a lot of success but we need to rebuild the club. That success is now ancient history. Now we want to rebuild a club based on England-qualified players with a flavour of Irish."
Smith will be in charge of recruitment and after a couple of days in the job has already persuaded one Irishman, the Munster and Lions scrum-half Tom�s O'Leary, to move to the club. "Tom�s O'Leary's signing will be the first of many," Smith said. Irish's chief target will be a fly-half to replace the New Zealander Dan Bowden, who is moving to Leicester this summer. They have tried to persuade another New Zealander, Newcastle's points-machine Jimmy Gopperth, to move south but Gopperth wants to stay with the Falcons despite their likely relegation.
The Premiership resumes this weekend but the England coaching appointment and fallout from the World Cup continues to cast a long shadow over the English game. And Smith thinks Martin Johnson still has a role to play. "Martin Johnson is a terrific asset for England and I just hope England can use him in the future. Two people have had experience of winning a World Cup, Martin Johnson and Clive Woodward."
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/mar/21/nick-mallett-england-stuart-lancaster
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