Mallinder: I’d like to coach England one day

One possible candidate for the England position who has ruled himself out is Northampton Saints director of rugby Jim Mallinder.

Will England make changes for the clash against Wales next weekend?

Mallinder, 45, was one of the favourites to be the replacement for Martin Johnson before Stuart Lancaster was appointed interim coach ahead of the Six Nations

When asked about applying for the vacant hotseat, Mallinder told BBC Look East.”No, I haven’t applied, It’s probably the best job in the world coaching wise. What a great opportunity. But it’s got to be the right thing at the right time.”

“At the moment, I’m concerned with getting Northampton to win something. You can’t be distracted, it’s got to be full on and that’s what I am, that’s what the rest of the coaches are and that’s what the players are.”

“He carried on by saying one day he would like to take up the position: “I spoke to [Rugby Football Union director of operations] Rob Andrew a month or so ago, as I have done previously. I expressed that one day I think it’s a tremendous job to do”I’d like to do [England] at some time.”

Mallinder has a history with the England set-up  as he is the former England Under-21s and Saxons coach and left to take the reins at Saints back in 2007.

He is contracted to the club until 2013. Since his appointment at Franklin’s Gardens five years ago , he has won the LV= Cup and last season took Northampton to the Heineken Cup final.

He’s won promotion to the Premiership with an undefeated season in the Championship , won the European Challenge Cup in 08-09 but the one thing missing from his CV is a Premiership Grand Final.

Saints, sat third in the league, have made it to the semi-finals of this season’s LV= Cup but have found themselves performing below-par  in Europe this season, failing to progress from their group after only having  two victories of their six games.

Mallinder’s work hasn’t gone un-noticed as he has had a hand in the development of established England internationals Chris Ashton, Courtney Lawes, Dylan Hartley, Ben Foden and Tom Wood who all play at the Gardens.

His work with English talent meant eight Saints players were included in Lancaster’s initial Six Nations squad.

By James Wade

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