Mallinder Dismisses England and Focuses on Saints

Jim Mallinder has distanced himself from speculation that he will become England's attack coach, saying he is concentrating on preparing Northampton for their return to the Guinness Premiership next season.

Mallinder, the Saints' director of rugby, said he had not heard from the new England team manager, Martin Johnson, who, although he does not officially start work until July 1, is looking for a coach to take charge of the backs.

Mallinder said: "My mind is focused on next season and the club doing well in the Premiership." Northampton's chairman, Keith Barwell, has promised to double Mallinder's wages to keep him and the coach added: "There has been some good press speculation and it is really nice that the fans, and particularly Keith, have been so supportive . . . I have not received a call from Martin Johnson or anyone at the Rugby Football Union."

Johnson is deciding whether to make his new backs coach an equal of John Wells and Mike Ford, who are in charge of the forwards and defence, or to give the position senior status. The former head coach, Brian Ashton, is unlikely to take legal action over his removal and is deciding whether to take a pay-off or return as head of the academy.

Barwell has urged Johnson not to dally over the appointment. "The problem with these sorts of organizations is that they do things at their own pace and the wheels turn so slowly," he said. "We need this to be sorted out as soon as possible."

Mallinder has two years left on his contract with Northampton and the RFU would have to pay a six-figure sum for him to be released, just as it did to prise Ashton from Bath 16 months ago.

Mallinder is in talks to bring the South Africa second-row Victor Matfield, the man of the match in last October's World Cup final victory over England, to Franklin's Gardens on a contract believed to be worth £375,000 a year. Furthermore, one of Northampton's new recruits, the Sale scrum-half or full-back Ben Foden, is understood to have a clause in his contract which will allow him to reconsider if Mallinder left the club.

Wasps are resigned to losing the England flanker James Haskell at the end of next season after talks with the 23-year-old, over a new three-year contract, stalled this month. Although the European champions proposed to double Haskell's wages, a number of other Premiership sides have indicated they are prepared to pay him £200,000 a year.

Haskell earns less than half that with Wasps, although he secured a pay rise this season. Wasps intend to hold him to his current deal, not least because the player they have targeted to replace him, Natal's Ryan Kankowski, wants to play for South Africa against the Lions next summer before moving. Wasps have held preliminary talks with the once-capped Springbok back-rower's agent.

The New Zealand outside-half Daniel Carter is considering spending 18 months, from this December, in Europe. Toulouse last week registered their interest, along with the Cardiff Blues, and the French second-division leaders, Toulon, yesterday said they were prepared to offer the 26-year-old a deal worth around £1m. A French newspaper yesterday claimed that the Ospreys have also made an approach to Carter's financial advisers.

The former England head coach Andy Robinson will return to the international scene when he joins Scotland on tour in Argentina this summer. Robinson, who has been in charge of Edinburgh since the start of the season, has replaced George Graham as the national side's forwards coach following a review of the Six Nations campaign. Frank Hadden remains as head coach. Glasgow's Sean Lineen replaces Alan Tait as backs coach. The Scottish Rugby Union said that Robinson and Lineen had been appointed temporarily, pending another review after the trip to Argentina.