England have 'no magic date' to appoint coach before South Africa tour

England may still be under a caretaker management when they go on a three-Test tour to South Africa in June after the Rugby Football Union's chief executive Ian Ritchie admitted it was unlikely that Martin Johnson's successor would be named by the end of the Six Nations. Stuart Lancaster, the interim head coach for the championship, will be interviewed within the next week for the permanent position. He is one of three candidates on the shortlist but a decision appears more likely to be later than sooner. "What I've said is that, in an ideal world, and I stress even that, we would like to have someone in place to coach on the tour to South Africa in the summer," said Ritchie on BBC Radio 5 Live on Sunday, before adding: "There is no magic date that we have to appoint anyone by." England have improved immeasurably from the ruins of last year's World Cup, which was not only their most unsuccessful on the field for 12 years but which was also marred by a number of incidents off the pitch that prompted an official review that was concluded after Johnson resigned as team manager. Ritchie said that he would be prepared to wait until after the start of next season by which time Wayne Smith, the former New Zealand attack coach who has experience of the English game after spending three years as Northampton's director of rugby, will be free to exercise an opt-out clause with Waikato Chiefs. The former South Africa coach Nick Mallett has long been the favourite to succeed Johnson but having spent eight years coaching Stade Français and Italy, he has been agonising over whether to uproot himself again having only returned home after the World Cup. "The primary function is getting the best person," Ritchie said. "The date is not the be all and end all but I want to move forward on it as quickly as we can. Stuart is doing a good job in putting his best foot forward and what you have to do is make the best assessment you can overall. Comments that Stuart will get the job if England win three matches in the Six Nations and that he won't if they lose three are simplistic." England's one defeat in their three matches under Lancaster came against Wales at Twickenham in the last round, and they were denied the chance of a draw when David Strettle's late claim for a try was ruled out by the video official Iain Ramage. England face France in Paris on Sunday (11 March) with Les Bleus looking for a victory that would set them up for a title decider against Wales in Cardiff on the final weekend – only the Welsh can now win the grand slam after Ireland's draw in the rearranged game at Stade de France .