Jim Mallinder has moved to distance himself from the England head coach role after speculation that he could be a candidate if Eddie Jones leaves after the World Cup.
Mallinder, who is currently employed as a pathway coach by the Rugby Football Union, will take charge of an inexperienced England team against a star-studded Barbarians side at Twickenham on Sunday, fuelling suggestions he is in the frame if Jones departs.
Why Jones has stepped away from coaching duties for this match is unclear, not least because he has attended every coaching session this week and kept a watchful eye over the squad. Equally uncertain is whether he will leave after the tournament in Japan – his contract runs until 2021 but has a break clause the RFU can activate if England do not reach the semi-finals. However, a newspaper report this week suggested he may stay on for the 2023 World Cup.
If he does leave after the tournament, Mallinder would be a convenient option for the cash-strapped RFU given he is already employed by the union. But asked if he would be interested in replacing Jones, Mallinder said: “Not at all. I have done that director of rugby role. It is my job to come in here, look after the best up-and-coming players. I have known for a while that I would be privileged enough to take this team and that’s what I’m doing.”
The Northampton back-row Teimana Harrison is the only capped player in Mallinder’s side – by way of contrast Joe Marler, who starts for the Barbarians, has more than five times the amount in England’s squad – but Marcus Smith is an eye-catching selection at fly-half. The 20-year-old had been due to go to Argentina for the Junior World Cup but was offered the chance to play on Sunday and it may boost his faint hopes of being included in Jones’s World Cup plans.
Smith said: “We want to put a performance in as a squad that we know we’re all proud of and hopefully that will include some good individual performances to put us in future England selection – as we all want to be international players.”
Before the match at Twickenham England Women will make history by hosting the Barbarians. England, led by Sarah Hunter, have named a strong side but so, too, have the Barbarians with three former Red Roses, Tamara Taylor, Rochelle Clark and Danielle Waterman, playing. England’s head coach, Simon Middleton, said: “The Barbarians side is really experienced with 946 caps between the players which will make the game a real challenge.”