English Rugby
Mallinder eyes England job
ESPNscrum Staff
November 1, 2011
Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder in relaxed mood, Northampton training session, Franklin's Gardens, Northampton, England, April 7, 2011
Jim Mallinder © Getty Images
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Players/Officials: Martin Johnson | Jim Mallinder
Tournaments/Tours: Rugby World Cup | Aviva Premiership

Northampton Saints director of rugby Jim Mallinder has revealed his ambition to one day become England boss.

The future of current national team manager Martin Johnson remains up in the air after a disastrous Rugby World Cup campaign which was blighted by ill-discipline off the field.

Mallinder did not go as far as to say that he would like to replace Johnson at the helm but the former Sale fullback, who was capped twice at international level, has admitted that coaching England is a dream of his.

"Every player should want to aspire to play for his country and I think that's probably the same for coaches too," he said. "You should always aspire to be the very best you can.

"If one day, I ever have that honour, it would be something that would be very difficult to turn down."

Mallinder, who led Northampton to the final of last season's Heineken Cup, already has some experience at international level, having coached the England Saxons to Churchill Cup glory in 2007.

Meanwhile, Mallinder's Leicester Tigers counterpart Richard Cockerill has revealed that he would not put himself forward for the England job should Johnson be removed after the completion of the two reviews into the World Cup campaign.

"The England job is huge," he said. "For me, given 10 years more experience I might think about it, but I'm still trying to master the club game, never mind Test match rugby."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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