Back to the future England will consider Lancaster to replace Jones

Melville will not rule out former head coach Gatland also in RFU sights to succeed Jones

The Rugby Football Union is to give home-grown coaches every chance to succeed Eddie Jones as England head coach following the 2019 Rugby World Cup and has not ruled out an approach to his predecessor, Stuart Lancaster.

Nigel Melville, who has stepped in as interim chief executive following the shock resignation of Steve Brown, intends to convene a panel with immediate effect to compile a list of candidates, an urgent course of action given that Ireland have just announced that Lancaster’s former right-hand man, Andy Farrell, will be their next head coach, following in the significant footsteps of Joe Schmidt.

Melville will consider all options with his overarching premise that “we want the best man for the job”.

It is a far-reaching remit and includes having talks with the man he once brought to Wasps, Warren Gatland, who will also be on the job market in 10 months, with his Wales post already being filled by Scarlets’ New Zealand-born head coach, Wayne Pivac. The RFU has been putting its succession plan together for the past 18 months and, although Jones’s contract has been extended beyond the World Cup so that he can help transition the new head coach, there is little doubt the RFU will want to be at an advanced stage in its search long before then.

Jones is the union’s first England head coach from overseas and although Melville insists that he wants the best candidate no matter their nationality, it is clear from his remarks in his first press conference as acting chief executive that he wants to give Englishmen every opportunity to lay claim to the post.

Lancaster, of course, set great store in reasserting an English identity and getting the team to connect with their roots. The 49-year-old was badly burnt by the manner of his dismissal in the wake of the disappointing 2015 Rugby World Cup and it would take some wooing to prise him away from his position at Leinster, where he has rebuilt his career.

Melville dismissed the notion that it might be a problem approaching someone who had left the union in less than amicable circumstances. “Why would it be a problem?” he said. “I didn’t get rid of anyone. I’ll meet anyone who has the requisite talent to do the job for us. I am English, this is England, and, of course, it would be great to have an English coach. I haven’t spoken to Stuart, so I’m not sure if it’s the path that he sees for himself, but we have been monitoring everyone for the past 18 months.

“We have got a spreadsheet of everything and everyone, different

‘I will talk to anyone who has the talent. We have got to have the best coach’

levels, assistant coaches, kicking coaches, all sorts. We have English coaches working overseas as well, quite a few of them in France [the likes of Joe Worsley, Alex King and, recently departed, Rory Teague].

“I’ll be meeting with everyone who is a potential target for us. We have got to have the best coach for the job.” Jones will be very much part of the consultation programme.

“Why wouldn’t we take Eddie’s feedback?” said Melville, who revealed that there were plans in place were Jones to leave immediately after the World Cup. “Yes, absolutely. The degree with which they [the appointed coaching team] would work with Eddie depends on them anyway and their status.

“And I think a number of our current coaching team could be interested in the role. I’ll speak to Warren [Gatland] and then we’ll see. The panel will be put together in the new year and will have various people including probably a recently retired England player.”

It is apparent that Melville will be a focal point of the union over the next six to nine months. Brown steps aside formally on Dec 21 and the head-hunting programme to find a successor is sure to last deep into 2019. Melville has had various posts in the game, both here and in the United States, where there is still the possibility of a $6million (£4.7 million) lawsuit being taken out against him by a disaffected investor in USA Rugby.

“It will be fiercely contested should it go to court,” said Melville. “It should be resolved quickly.”