Caretakers in charge as RFU try to sway Nick Mallett

Twickenham chiefs want a caretaker management group in charge of England for the Six Nations to give themselves more time to convince Nick Mallett to accept control of the national team.

Mallett has turned down the chance to be head coach because he doesn't want to report to Rob Andrew, the operations director.

Andrew, however, could be moved sideways after the reviews taking place following the failed World Cup campaign that saw Martin Johnson resign as team manager.

The Professional Game Board, who are looking into the Cup campaign, are understood to want Mallett as team manager but have to convince him to move his family to Europe from South Africa, where they returned after he ended his contract with Italy following the World Cup.

To buy them more time, the Rugby Football Union plan to give control of the Six Nations squad to Saxons manager Stuart Lancaster, who will work alongside coaches Graham Rowntree and Mike Ford, the only members of the Johnson regime who will be retained.

The RFU could ask Graham Henry, who stepped down as New Zealand coach after guiding them to World Cup glory, to oversee the transition period.

Henry, who arrives in London tomorrow to take charge of the Barbarians that play Australia at Twickenham on Saturday, said: "I want a role in the game in an advisory capacity."