The Times' Mark Souster (writing from behind the paywall), agrees that Stuart Lancaster is favourite for the England head coach job after former All Blacks coach Wayne Smith ruled himself out of the running.
"Wayne Smith, who was considered to be one of the front-runners to take over as England head coach, has, The Times understands, ruled himself out of contention to become the permanent successor to Martin Johnson. Applications for the post, at present filled on an interim basis by Stuart Lancaster, close tonight.
Smith, 45, whose coaching pedigree is second to none, having been one of the the Three Wise Men, with Graham Henry and Steve Hansen, who led New Zealand to World Cup glory, rejected overtures to put his name forward.
"His decision, and indeed that of several other potential contenders, is thought to be based on concerns about the specifics of the job description outlined in a six-page document from the RFU and Odgers Berndtson, the headhunters retained by Twickenham.
“"It is neither really one thing nor the other and is pretty confusing,” a source closely associated with the process said. “I am not sure the RFU is clear about what it wants and that goes back to the structure of the elite department, which may soon come under [independent] review."
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