Lancaster unfazed by job speculation
England’s interim head coach Stuart Lancaster insists speculation over his future will not affect his team’s performance in Sunday’s Six Nations clash with France.
Lancaster has applied for the permanent post and is due to be interviewed for the position before the end of the Six Nations.
South African Nick Mallett has applied for the role, but Jake White ruled himself out of contention on Friday as he is committed to the Brumbies.
The appointment of a new head coach has been the subject of huge interest in England, but Lancaster says he has been too busy trying to turn the team around to worry about the future.
“I knew from the outset I was going to be an interim coach,” Lancaster told reporters at England’s training base.
“I knew what the process was going to be from the start. I can only worry about things I can control and as a coach there are things you can’t control.
“It was always going to be a public process – the players have not been affected and it hasn’t affected the management. We are just concentrating on Sunday.”
England have won two games and lost one under Lancaster’s temporary rule and have a chance on Sunday to avenge the World Cup quarter-final defeat at French hands in Auckland.
Lancaster’s new look England contains only five survivors from that day and the coach has urged his side to front up to the French physically.
“Playing France away is one of the biggest challenges in international rugby. They have got about 900 caps between them and the experience of being in the World Cup final,” he said.
“They are a threat across the park. We have got to make sure we get the set piece right and we want to play with width and tempo. The set piece is how you impose yourself and we have got to make sure we play on the front foot.
“The boys are looking forward to what is going to be a huge challenge.”
Lancaster has named the same starting line-up that featured in the 19-12 defeat to Wales with Tom Palmer coming in on the bench for the injured Courtney Lawes and fly-half Charlie Hodgson coming into the replacements after recovering from a hand injury.
“We were really disappointed to lose to Wales but we took a lot out of the performance and felt it was right to pick the same starting team to go to Paris.” Lancaster added.
France can bounce straight back to third in the IRB World Rankings but defeat will end their stay in the top four spots so crucial for the Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool Allocation Draw later in the year.
A French win will see them rise above South Africa, regaining the place they lost after the 17-17 draw with Ireland last weekend, but defeat at the Stade de France would see Philippe Saint-André’s charges swap places with their conquerors England to be ranked sixth.
AFP
