THE FORMER South Africa coach Jake White yesterday ruled himself out of the England coaching job, but fell short of saying Martin Johnson should be reappointed as team manager.

White, who led South Africa to success in the 2007 World Cup, said he wanted to coach an international side again and he has been linked with the England position, but he said he was not in the market having just taken over at the Brumbies. “I do not think the issue in this case is whether he (Johnson) should stay or go,” said White. “When you are in charge of a team you need the backing of the people above you when times are tough. You need to know that they feel you are right for the job.

“I have ambitions to be an international coach again. I was only 44 when South Africa won the World Cup and it is different for Graham Henry who has just tasted success in the tournament with New Zealand because he has reached retirement age. The timing with England is not right for me because I have a contract with the Brumbies and so there can be no speculation about my future.”

Johnson is considering his future after England’s calamitous World Cup campaign. The England manager, whose contract expires in December, has been asked by the Rugby Football Union’s acting chief executive, Martyn Thomas, to decide whether he is to continue. The decision could be taken out of Johnson’s hands with the former England prop Fran Cotton, a critic of Johnson’s, about to head an inquiry into the campaign which was overshadowed by incidents of ill-discipline off the pitch.

Bath flanker Lewis Moody retired from international rugby at the weekend after captaining England during their campaign, having also featured in the victorious 2003 campaign and the 2007 final.

White was speaking after being inducted into the International Rugby Board’s hall of fame at an awards dinner at the Vector Arena. Henry was named coach of the year and the All Blacks team of the year, with the France captain Thierry Dusautoir voted player of the year.

The New Zealand captain, Richie McCaw, admitted he was glad the tournament did not go on for another couple of weeks having aggravated a foot injury at the start of the month. “I had to carry the injury for the last three weeks, but there was no way I was going to pull out of the tournament,” said McCaw. “I was always pretty confident I would get to the final but could not have gone on for too many more weeks. There are times when you are not 100 per cent but you have to go out there and do it right.”

Guardian Service