9 Dec 2011

Lancaster gets England caretakers job

5:22 am on 9 December 2011

Stuart Lancaster will coach the England rugby side on a caretaker basis through the Six Nations championship while a permanent replacement is sought to take over from Martin Johnson.

Lancaster, the former Leeds forward currently in charge of the second-string England Saxons team, will be assisted by Graham Rowntree and Andy Farrell, his Saxons assistant.

There is no place for forwards coach John Wells or defence coach Mike Ford, who were both criticised in the leaked confidential World Cup reviews made by the England players last month.

Attack coach Brian Smith, who was also heavily criticised, resigned two weeks ago.

Johnson resigned last month following England's quarter-final exit at the World Cup after a campaign marked by problems on and off the pitch.

Former Saxons boss and present Northampton coach Jim Mallinder is the bookmakers' favourite to get the England job on a permanent basis. Nick Mallett, Wayne Smith, Eddie Jones and John Kirwan are among a group of well-established contenders hoping to become the country's first overseas coach.