• Appointment may be made before end of month
• Paris display strengthens interim coach's hand
Stuart Lancaster will be formally interviewed next week for the role of permanent England head coach vacated by Martin Johnson. The Guardian understands that support for Lancaster is growing both inside and outside the Rugby Football Union and, assuming his presentation to the selection advisory panel goes well, his appointment could be confirmed inside the next two to three weeks.
Reports that Lancaster could be offered the job as early as Monday are understood to be inaccurate, not least because the RFU did not wish to distract its caretaker coach from England's last two Six Nations fixtures, against France and Ireland. Once the tournament is over, however, Lancaster will be invited to outline his vision of the future to a five-man panel chaired by Ian Ritchie, the RFU's new chief executive.
Even if the panel, which also includes Sir Ian McGeechan, Conor O'Shea, Richard Hill and Rob Andrew, agrees that Lancaster is definitely the man it wants, the appointment has to be ratified by the RFU's board of directors. The next scheduled board meeting is on Wednesday but Ritchie is unwilling to rush the process. More likely is that a special board meeting will be convened the following week once contractual negotiations have taken place with the successful candidate.
Such is the groundswell of approval for the 42-year-old Lancaster at grass-roots club level following England's improving Six Nations efforts, not least the 24-22 victory in Paris, that even a final weekend defeat by Ireland may not count against him, although Nick Mallett, the former South Africa and Italy coach, still has his supporters.