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LONDON - Martin Johnson is not the right man to take charge of the England rugby team, former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones says.
Andy Robinson stood down as England coach on Wednesday after his team suffered eight defeats in its last nine games, including a 25-14 loss to South Africa last weekend.
Britain's The Guardian newspaper this week asked whether Johnson, who captained England to victory at the last World Cup, is the man to revive England rugby.
Arguing the "No" case, Jones wrote that while Johnson was one of the best rugby captains of all time, he had no coaching experience.
"To ask a former player with no coaching experience to take on the England job is a near impossible task," Jones said.
"If you drew up the criteria for the coach of England, the list of requirements would be long and Johnson would definitely not be a candidate."
Jones said picking Johnson would be a popular and emotional choice, rather than a considered one and pointed out the equivalent would be people calling for former Wallabies captain John Eales to coach Australia.
"It's funny because I've never heard it said in Australia that Eales should coach the national side and he would rank right up there with Johnson as one of the best rugby captains of all time," Jones said.
"But Eales has never been tempted to get involved in that side of rugby and his name has never come up.
"He's even distanced himself from anything like that at all.
"He played his part, as well as anyone ever did, and then he moved on."
Former England No 8 Lawrence Dallaglio was highly supportive of his World Cup teammate, saying Johnson must be involved in breathing new life into England rugby - just how, he wasn't sure.
"Martin is someone who is immensely respected for what he's done but I am sure he will be the first to say he does not have a huge amount of coaching experience," Dallaglio told The Independent newspaper.
"But what he does have is an astute rugby brain. It would be nonsensical for him not to be involved, but in what capacity I don't know.
"It's important to find the next generation of coaches."
Johnson's name has been thrown alongside those of assistant England coach Brian Ashton, Harlequins director of rugby Dean Richards and Gloucester head coach Dean Ryan as candidates for the post.
Waikato head coach Warren Gatland and Bristol head coach Richard Hill have also been named as possible successors to Robinson and Britain's The Sun newspaper suggested Jones could be a candidate.
England's elite director of rugby, Rob Andrew, has already ruled himself out.
- AAP
