Lancaster must wait to discover England fate
ENGLAND’S rousing Six Nations victory over France on Sunday was not enough to guarantee interim head coach Stuart Lancaster the job on a permanent basis but it did go a long way to strengthening his case, according to the Rugby Football Union’s chief executive Ian Ritchie.
Lancaster received the unequivocal backing of his players following England’s third away win of the tournament but Ritchie said the RFU will stick to its global recruitment process and ruled out making an appointment before the Six Nations concludes this weekend.
“Winning in Paris, fantastic though it is and a great win, does not change what we will go through,” said Ritchie. “It is not going to be based on what happens in the Six Nations alone.
“We have a great list of people interested in the job and I include Stuart in that. He is putting his best foot forward but it is a comparative process. We certainly won’t be announcing anything before the end of the Six Nations.”
Meanwhile, Wasps and former England flanker Tom Rees has been forced to retire after failing to recover from a knee injury. The 27-year-old won 15 international caps and was part of the 2007 World Cup squad.