Martin Johnson walks straight into a row over Mallinder

It means London Irish player-coach Mike Catt is now favourite to become Johnson's new attack coach and right-hand man when he begins his £300,000-a-year contract with the Rugby Football Union on 1 July.

Mallinder, a former Sale and England Saxons coach, is now director of rugby at Northampton and has guided them back to the Premiership.

The club's owner, Keith Barwell, said: "We'll fight Johnson tooth and nail. Jim's a hero in Northampton. I don't care what it takes - I'll double his salary, do whatever needs to be done.

"We're very ambitious and Jim has two years of a three-year deal left to run. If he did want to go, I wouldn't stand in his way - in the same way as we want our players to play for England. But I'd make it bloody difficult. So let's get ready for a fight."

Catt is already operating in a coaching role, which puts him ahead of Austin Healey, one of Johnson's closest friends, in the contest for the attacking specialist vacancy created by former head coach Brian Ashton's sacking.

"I'd love to work with Jonno," said Catt. "He's got a wealth of knowledge on the game, he's very experienced, his man-management is very good and he's got the utmost respect from people in the game. When he says something you do it, otherwise you suffer the consequences."

Meanwhile, Lawrence Dallaglio today challenged Johnson to end "five years of excuses" and put English rugby back at the top of the world game.

Dallaglio and Johnson were key figures in England's 2003 World Cup-winning team and now the latter has the task of trying to win the 2011 event.

While Ashton is considering the offer of a downgraded post in charge of the National Academy in Bath, Johnson has the power to shape England's rugby future. He does not officially take over until 1 July because of the impending arrival of his second child which means Rob Andrew, the RFU elite rugby director, will take the team to New Zealand for two Test matches in June.

But Johnson will pick the squad, and Dallaglio wants the former Lions captain to set new standards.

Dallaglio said: "We seem to have been making excuses for five years since we won the World Cup. We have to get over it. We have heard enough of those excuses and need to be the best again, which means having the vision to recreate what we had before.

"Jonno will bring that vision and forward thinking and it is vital we set the bar really high. We have to think big."

Johnson will reveal his plans at a press conference at Twickenham tomorrow but Andrew will also face a grilling for the RFU's dreadful handling of Ashton's sacking.