Have your say: Former Leeds coach Lancaster jumps into England contention after Henry rules out any move

Former Leeds Carnegie coach Stuart Lancaster has emerged as a candidate to be an interim successor to Martin Johnson and could lead England into the Six Nations.

The 42-year-old England Saxons manager is being lined up by the Rugby Football Union as the spearhead of a three-prongued caretaker coaching staff above current defence chief Mike Ford and scrum specialist Graham Rowntree.

New Zealand’s World Cup-winning coach Graham Henry yesterday ruled himself out of the running, leaving Northampton Saints’ Halifax-born director of rugby Jim Mallinder as the leading long-term candidate.

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But with England’s opening match in the Six Nations against Scotland now a little over two months away, the RFU could well be inclined to make a short-term appointment to buy themselves time to get the right man in place to take them to the 2015 World Cup.

Lancaster’s official title at the RFU is head of elite player development, a position he has held since leaving Leeds in 2008 following the club’s relegation from the Premiership.

He was director of rugby for two years at Headingley Carnegie having previously headed the club’s academy for five years, helping progress the future of a host of burgeoning talents including England scrum-half Danny Care.

Prior to that, the Cumbria-born forward represented Leeds more than 100 times and played for Headingley when they merged with Roundhay to form Leeds in 1992. The short-term move at the top of the England coaching set-up has met with widespread approval, with former England coach Dick Best the loudest voice in support of Lancaster.

He said: “Stuart Lancaster is a sound pair of hands.”

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Earlier this year Lancaster was linked to the now-redundant performance director post at Twickenham.

Mallinder reiterated his interest in the post last week, while Henry yesterday ruled out the possibility of working with England.

Henry, who admitted he was surprised Johnson had stood down as England manager, confirmed he has “no desire to coach a team” after 140 Tests in charge of Wales, the Lions and the All Blacks.

He wants to keep his hand in the sport but is looking for an advisory role with a Heineken Cup team and does not foresee involving himself in Test rugby again.

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“I am contracted to the New Zealand Rugby Union until the end of March. I have no desire to coach a team,” said Henry.

“I have done 140 Tests and that is probably enough. I have been very privileged. I just think it is time to move on (from Test rugby).

“You never say never but my desire is to live in New Zealand predominantly. If there is someone who wants me in this part of the world as an advisor, perhaps a Heineken Cup team, I would be interested.”

When asked what he would say if the RFU asked him to name his price, Henry added: “I have got enough problems. I need some recovery time.”

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Henry, who is in London to coach the Barbarians against Australia at Twickenham on Saturday, said his chances of being involved in Test rugby this time next year were “zero out of 10”.

Whoever takes the job, either short-term or long-term, will have to name a new 32-man senior squad on January 1.

Meanwhile, Mike Tindall’s appeal against the £25,000 fine imposed on him by the Rugby Football Union will be heard at Twickenham tomorrow.

The Otley-born 33-year-old was fined and dropped from the England squad following an RFU investigation into his conduct on a night out in Queenstown during the World Cup.

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Tindall was among a group of players who went out for drinks after being given the night off and he was captured on CCTV footage from the Altitude Bar in conversation with a woman. The Gloucester centre later issued an apology for misleading the England management over his movements that night, having initially claimed he did not go on to another bar.

Tindall’s appeal will be heard by the RFU’s acting chief executive Martyn Thomas.