Jim Mallinder is the early England-born favourite to succeed Martin Johnson © Getty Images
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Brendan Venter, in his column for the Telegraph, backs Jim Mallinder as the right man to succeed Martin Johnson.
"Jim Mallinder is the right man for the England job because he is the only one of the candidates who is a classic head coach prepared to get his hands dirty and build a team from scratch.
He did this at Northampton when he took the club from the first division to the Heineken Cup final in less than four years, and I believe he can make England one of the most difficult teams to beat in Test rugby.
Australia have been second only to New Zealand over the past two years because Robbie Deans is an old-fashioned coach like Mallinder. He is there on the training paddock coaching the sessions and calling the shots.
Deans won numerous Super Rugby titles with the Crusaders as a pure head coach and the Australian Rugby Union were very smart to get this kind of leader locked into a long contract.
With a manager, and not a coach, at the helm, England have lacked direction and have gone into big matches without a defined style of play. A team with Mallinder at the heart of the tactics and training will leave observers in no doubt about how they play. England will be a direct, hard and physical side that will ask serious questions of any team they play.”
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