Respected South African coach Nick Mallett has alleged that he “received a call from England” this week, according to a report on South African site Netwerk24.
Speaking at a breakfast with the Blue Bulls Rugby Union this week, Mallett said the RFU had been in touch, but that he had rebuffed them.
“I will not be considered,” he said. “I was ready for the challenge in 2011, but not now. I enjoy my job (as an analyst for SuperSport) too much anyway.”
It is believed that Mallett was one of several high profile foreign coaches approached in 2011, after the demise of Martin Johnson’s tenure, before the job was eventually handed to Stuart Lancaster.
The South African also claims that he was led to believe that the post was going to be his in 2011, after a conversation with Ian Ritchie. “I phoned my wife and said I believe the post is mine,” he said.
And Mallett is not the first to claim that he was strung along in 2011, with fellow former Springbok coach Jake White claiming he was used to make Lancaster’s appointment have ‘credence’ in 2011.
“When I was with the Boks I was approached to put my name in for Rob Andrew’s job,” White told the Daily Mail. “Then they contacted me before appointing Martin Johnson and Stuart Lancaster. All three times, they’ve gone for English people. Generally it’s used as a means to make the other candidates look like they have a bit of credence.”
While White remains keen on the England job this time around – and claims no contact has yet been made – Mallett seems to have ruled himself out of the reckoning, clearly not happy with how he was led to believe the job was his in 2011, only to end up disappointed.
But if Mallett has indeed been approached by the RFU already – before England have even played their final group stage game of the World Cup – it would not be a good sign for the prospects of Stuart Lancaster and his coaches.
So their first option is to go for the guy they rejected last time, who has been out of coaching for the last few years? Okay then.
Phone Eddie Jones FFS. Please not White.
Insanity isn’t it?
Sounds like its blind panic at RFU HQ.
The one man who really needs to go almost certainly will not. Take a bow Rob Andrew!
Pure conjecture on The Rugby Blog’s part. Mallett turning it down isn’t the same as him being approached.
Except that he said he was approached by the RFU?
Agree with the above….At least wait until Lancaster has actually resigned to do the ‘ring around’ ? What happened to the full, in depth review they have promised!
The players don’t want to get involved, so they’re thinking ‘Sh*t, hit the panic buttons’
Where does he say he was approached? He doesn’t. It’s pre-emptive, but people are reading into it that he was contacted by the RFU. SCW has said something similar.
“Mallett said the RFU had been in touch, but that he had rebuffed them.”
Sounds like he was approached by someone? Or was it a hoax caller?
Can you link me to where he said that? I’d like a quote from the man himself, not a journalist passing it off as fact.
Glad he’s ruled himself out, didn’t want Mallet anyway he was pants for Italy. Jake White is a slightly better option but not by much. surely we can find a better coach than these
Thank you for some sense here Leon, Mallett’s name gets banded around far too often in this, it was the same in 2011, people seem to forget this is the “genius” who picked a flanker to play at scrum half in an international fixture!!
C’mon Liono, it wa a bad error, but Italy had depleted resources and he gambled and lost. At least he learned from his mistake and didn’t repeat it. SL has played a flanker in the centres for the most part of his reign, despite the fact that England have mostly looked a better team when Barritt has been absent.
I don’t think it’ll happen after last time but i want Wayne Smith
That’s the third account in the last 2 days along the lines of, “Not after the way they treated me last time”.
It is extremely sensible to sound out others to establish options should the review(as it absolutely must)decide Lancaster is way out of his depth and grossly overrates himself.
Why don’t they go for Peter de Villiers, he defintely open for offers!!
Same old RFU. I am a little nervous about believing an ex coach turned analyst as most of them will say anything to get publicity, but the RFU has made a complete pigs ear of these appointments time and time again, and haven’t issued a proper denial so it is probably true. Isn’t it time the fans got a governing body that was fit for purpose? Had high hopes for Ritchie……