WillGreenwood

Nothing surprises me at the moment with English rugby, so I wasn't taken aback when Johnno announced his resignation. I would have loved him to stay, but if he believes that leaving was the right thing to do then I respect his judgement, as I always have done. Looking at his replacement, I am a massive fan of Jim Mallinder and he would be my number one choice. If Northampton fight to keep him - as I imagine they would - then I would go for an interim manager for the next couple of months while that is being negotiated. And the standout candidate for that would be Brendan Venter at Saracens. He could take the helm for what is an important period coming up, what with the Elite Performance Squad being announced in January. There is now no chief executive, no elite performance director,...