VIDEO: Why Nick Mallett turned down England job

Nicholas Vivian Haward Mallett is a decorated coach and retired Springbok, who now focuses on his role as a television analyst.

However, a decade ago he was so in demand as a coach, despite previously having been sacked in South Africa, that he was twice approached to take on the England job.

Following the 2011 World Cup, England coach Martin Johnson resigned from his post, with the Rugby Football Union appointing Stuart Lancaster as interim head coach for the 2012 Six Nations Championship, while the RFU continued to search for a full-time coach.

Mallett – who had All Black Wayne Smith on his coaching ticket – interviewed for the vacant job.

In March 2012, following a second-place finish in the Six Nations campaign, Lancaster was appointed as the English coach, keeping his assistants Graham Rowntree and Andy Farrell.

Mallett confirmed that at the end of 2011, he was ‘approached and interviewed’ for the England job, but the decision was to appoint Lancaster – who remained in charge for the next four years.

During the 2015 World Cup, Lancaster led England to their worst-ever performance at the global showpiece.

Lancaster’s side became the first English team, and the first former World Champions, to be knocked out in the group stages of the tournament.

Mallett, in the latest episode of the Boks Office podcast, opened up about a time when he was twice approached by the RFU.

(WATCH as former Springbok coach Nick Mallett explains why he once turned down an offer to coach England….)

“I thought I was in with a shout,” Mallett told Boks Office host Jean de Villiers about the 2011 interview.

“I had Wayne Smith, who was going to coach with me.

“I thought we would have had a good four years.”

After Lancaster’s horror show at the 2015 World Cup, Mallett’s agent got a call.

“They said I didn’t have to interview for it [the position of coach],” Mallett added.

“[They told him:] ‘We feel we made a mistake last time [2011].

“I phoned up Wayne Smith and asked him what his situation was.

“He said: ‘I am tied in with New Zealand and wouldn’t look at it again’.

“Your assistant coach is very important, the person you work with.

“I actually turned it down.

“That is when they gave it to Eddie [Jones].”

Mallett added that the modern era of over-the-top social media attacks and criticism makes the environment “horrible”.

“It is like a boxer. When you start you can take punches and towards the end, you are not taking them [punches] so well anymore.

“I am getting nicer and nicer to people, the older I get,” he quipped.

Between 1995 and 1996, Mallett took up the role of coach of Boland, before being appointed assistant coach to the Springboks in 1996 and finally getting the job of Springbok coach in 1997.

Between August 1997 and December 1998, under Mallett’s guidance, the Springboks went on a record winning streak of 17 consecutive Tests.

As part of the unbeaten run the Springboks won the Tri Nations (undefeated) and beat several teams by record margins – including a 52–10 against France in Paris, a 68–10 win over Scotland in Edinburgh, a 33–0 defeat of Ireland and a 96–13 against Wales.

The run ended when the Springbok team was defeated by England at Twickenham at the end of a long tour on 5 December 1998.

In November 2011, after the World Cup in New Zealand, Mallett’s contract as coach of Italy expired and he returned to Cape Town.

This is when England came knocking.

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* Watch the Mallett clip above or see the whole Episode 26 on RugbyPass TV!