Six Nations: Stuart Lancaster makes pitch for England job

Lancaster is currently at the helm on an interim basis for the RBS Six Nations while the RFU conduct a search for Martin Johnson’s permanent successor. Jake White yesterday ruled himself out of the running, 24 hours after declaring an interest in the job, which would appear to leave the RFU with a straight choice between Lancaster and Nick Mallett.

The RFU’s brief is thought to be for a coach with enough top-level international experience to successfully lead England into the 2015 Rugby World Cup on home soil. Inevitably, Lancaster is seen as the inexperienced option compared to Mallett, who coached South Africa on a record 17-Test unbeaten run and past England into the 1999 World Cup semi-finals.

Lancaster’s Test career is just three matches old but he is drawing on a 12-year coaching career, including the last three seasons with the England Saxons.

And a victory over France in Paris tomorrow would increase calls for the former Leeds director of rugby to be given the job on a permanent basis.

“I would not have taken on this interim role if I did not have belief in my own ability to do the job,” Lancaster said. “You wave that versus experience and at some point you have to dip your toe in the water to get some experience and that’s what I am getting.”

Lancaster picked up the coaching reins on an interim basis after the World Cup and his work in restoring the image of English rugby has impressed Twickenham executives.

Off the field, Lancaster has forged positive relationships with sponsors and media and been praised by the RFU for his part in their so-called “reputational damage rebuild plan”.

On the field, Lancaster has started building a new-look team that opened the Six Nations with dogged wins against Scotland and Italy that were full of character if little expansive rugby.

England fell to a 19-12 defeat to Wales two weekends ago but produced an encouraging performance that helped restore a pride in the national team, despite the final result.

“The way he has gone about his business has been superb,” said full-back Ben Foden. “He has added his own personal touches to it, which I think is great and you can’t ask anything more from him.

“It would be nice to have that stability at the top so we know what is going on. But right now this promising England side has a good opportunity to beat France in their own back yard and put down a marker to say we have the talent in England to progress and build for the 2015 World Cup.”

Lancaster’s England will reflect his own personal situation when they head to Paris – a young team full of confidence against a more experienced side.

“Playing France is a benchmark. It’s one of the biggest challenges in international rugby. It’s a massive challenge but one we are really excited about,” Lancaster said.

“The French are a mature team, their average age is 30-31 and they’ve got 900 caps between them. If you weigh up our experience against the French then you would say there is only one team with a chance of winning. But we have confidence and a self-belief. I think the players are in a good place and do believe where we are going. They have a belief in our game-plan and our ability.

“In terms of the long-term process of creating a winning England team, we believe in giving a new group of players some experience. This will certainly be a big experience.”

With France needing to beat England to have a realistic chance of pipping Wales to the Six Nations title, coach Philippe Saint-Andre has made a potentially risky move by shaking up his team for the first time since taking charge after the World Cup. France’s lacklustre display in last weekend’s 17-17 draw against Ireland was enough to convince him something needed to be done.

He dropped experienced halves Morgan Parra and Francois Trinh-Duc, even though they have played together for the best part of four years, replacing them with scrum-half Julien Dupuy and fly-half Lionel Beauxis – who have played only nine minutes together at international level.

“I’ll have to put in a good performance,” Beauxis said. “I know I have a big hand to play, I want to remain a starter. But that is more difficult.”

It is a brave move by Saint-Andre, who felt he needed the long kicking of Beauxis to push the English back and stop Lancaster’s team gaining a territorial hold on the game.

Trinh-Duc, for all of his flair and quick hands, kicked poorly against Ireland, putting his team in trouble rather than clearing danger.

Beauxis, a reliable if unspectacular No 10, will also take the penalty kicks, with Dupuy as his back up. Although they have appeared only twice together as late substitutes for France, Beauxis and Dupuy were team-mates at Stade Francais for two years.

“We had a great understanding,” Beauxis said. “The instincts are coming back.”