Eddie, Jake the only clear candidates
AFTER days of setbacks in England’s quest to find a marquee figure to become their next head coach, there may be progress at last. It would appear that, behind the scenes, wheels are in motion.
Since Stuart Lancaster’s departure was confirmed last Wednesday, candidates have been stampeding out of contention with alarming haste.
One by one, publicly or privately, household names who are coveted at Twickenham have been making their reluctance known – Graham Henry, Wayne Smith, Nick Mallett, Joe Schmidt and Warren Gatland, though he is more open-minded than he will say.
Yesterday, Australia coach Michael Cheika added his name to the stellar line-up who insist they would reject the RFU’s lucrative advances.
His compatriot, Eddie Jones, has also publicly distanced himself from the England vacancy, but he is in fact interested in succeeding Lancaster and now he is the leading contender to do so.
It is understood that the RFU have made contact with the 55-year-old in Cape Town, where he has just taken up a three-year contract with the Stormers. The Super Rugby side are backed by South African billionaire Johann Rupert, so they can afford to resist English advances.
But the RFU have vast financial clout, and their chief executive, Ian Ritchie, won’t be easily deterred if he decides Jones is the man for the job.
The bookmakers are usually well informed, and many have suspended betting after the sudden spike in wagers on Jones.
But it is thought that talks are in the preliminary stage, so this is by no means a done deal – especially as reports in France have claimed Montpellier coach Jake White had a meeting with the RFU last Friday.
White, assisted by Jones, guided the Springboks to their second World Cup triumph in 2007. He has since had spells with the Brumbies in Australia and the Sharks, before taking up his current role in France.
So far, he is the only candidate to declare his interest in taking the England job, but he also suggested he would be reluctant to go through a rigorous interview and assessment process, having missed out on three previous occasions. – Daily Mail