Blast for Sir Clive

Rob Andrew has effectively blamed Sir Clive Woodward for England's decline since winning the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

Andrew, the RFU's director of elite rugby, will report to his bosses at Twickenham on Thursday in an attempt to explain why England have sacked two coaches - Andy Robinson and Brian Ashton - in less than 18 months as well as appointing eight captains and losing most of their 54 Tests since 2003.

Andrew said: "When the edifice fell over after the 2003 World Cup, there was nothing behind it. To achieve long-term success, structures have to be put in place but there was no evidence of any when I started in this job two years ago."

While avoiding mentioning Sir Clive, Andrew added: "Without naming names, the 2003 World Cup coaching team effectively left no legacy. The elite end of the sport was in a terrible state."