New Zealander Vern Cotter has been touted as a leading contender for the role of permanent coach of England.
The Daily Telegraph noted that a report presented to the Rugby Football Union by the employment headhunters looking for a successor to Martin Johnson as England coach had Cotter as one of the leading names under consideration, along with former South Africa and Italy coach Nick Mallett.
Cotter, 49, who was a contender for the All Blacks job claimed by Steve Hansen, took Clermont Auvergne to France's Top 14 last season also has coaching experience with the Crusaders and Bay of Plenty in New Zealand.
Meanwhile, former No.8 Lawrence Dallaglio believes the role being taken by caretaker coach Stuart Lancaster in the Six Nations, starting next month, is a risky one.
Dallaglio believes England could miss out on a top four ranking for the next World Cup, to be staged in England, ahead of the draw in November.
That gives England 12 Tests, five in the Six Nations, three in South Africa and the four Autumn Tests in November to lift itself from the fifth place it holds in the rankings now.
And Wales captain Sam Warburton received some good news this week when awarded the annual Rugby personality of the year award by the Rugby Union Writers' Club.
He won the Pat Marshall Award, which was first won by legendary No.8 Mervyn Davies in 1976. All Blacks coach Graham Henry was on the shortlist for the award with French captain Thierry Dusautoir and Shane Williams.
"It is a fantastic honour and very surreal," Warburton said.
"There are players on the list of previous winners who I used to watch on DVD when I was growing up and really admired.
"It has been a whirlwind year for me and I had my best and worst moment in the space of 18 minutes when I led Wales into the World Cup semi-final. I wouldn't have put a pound on even making the squad at this time last year," he told the Cardiff Blues website.
Warburton said the World Cup effort had been a big step forward for Wales and they had played some great rugby. Now the goal was to build on that and win a championship, with the Six Nations the first on the list.
"We are going to be ambitious, not over confident, and hopefully there are plenty more good moments to come," he said.