John Kirwan believes that Nick Mallett is the "ideal" coach to take the permanent position at England.
The former Japan coach revealed that he was contacted by the RFU regarding the head coach vacancy but that he would not be going through to the next stage of the interview process.
"They contacted me saying I wouldn't go on to the next stage because they had a couple of other candidates that had more international experience than me," said Kirwan.
"They were looking for someone with a higher international profile. I understand that. They started out with something in mind and they are heading down that track.
"I think Nick Mallett would be perfect for it. Nick is the ideal mix. He is highly intelligent, he understands what a team needs to win and he gets the best out of players."
Current England interim coach Stuart Lancaster is also being considered for the full-time position.
Danielle Joynson
