Six Nations: Long-term role draws closer for Stuart Lancaster

STUART Lancaster gets his last chance to press his case to be appointed England coach on a permanent basis when his side face Ireland in the final match of the Six Nations today.

With Wales going for the Grand Slam, victory at Twickenham is unlikely to yield the title, but it would probably leave a rejuvenated England side in second place with four wins from five.

It would also make it hard for the Rugby Football Union to pass over Lancaster’s job application, despite apparent interest from former South Africa and Italy coach Nick Mallet.

“It is a fantastic coaching job,” Lancaster said. “If you ask any coach in any sport in any country, ‘what is the ultimate aim?’ it is to coach in your sport the national team.

“It is the dream job. What I enjoy most is working with people, helping them improve and building teams and you are doing that at the highest level.”

The team Lancaster has built has certainly improved upon England’s World Cup campaign, which ended with an ignominious quarter-final defeat by France.

Lancaster has made just one change to the side that won 24-22 in Paris, completing three away wins for the first time in the Six Nations. Fit-again David Strettle returns to the left wing after missing out last week because of a stomach injury.

His replacement, Charlie Sharples, drops out entirely, while hooker Lee Mears replaces the injured Rob Webber on the replacements bench.

Despite his short-term appointment, Lancaster has been trying to balance the need for instant success with the goal of building a platform for the 2015 World Cup.

“We are definitely heading in the right direction,” Lancaster said. “You are trying to paint that long-term picture all the time and the ultimate long-term picture is 2015. We are moving in the right direction, but there is still more to do.”

The RFU has not said whether Lancaster’s impressive run, which has lifted England to fourth in the world standings, is enough to keep him in the job after the Six Nations.

England have lost seven of their last nine meetings with Ireland but have an outside chance of clinching the title if they win and Wales lose to France.

Ireland are aiming to ruin England’s good mood – and potentially Lancaster’s prospects – with second place still a possibility despite just two wins so far.

Flanker Steven Ferris, who this week called England “bad losers,” will be part of a pack aiming to dominate its less experienced rivals. “You can never get too far away from the England pack,” Ireland assistant coach Mark Tainton said. “They always produce a good eight and have a very strong tight five, so we’ll have to match that.”