Sir Clive Woodward and Martin Johnson, the duo who inspired England to World Cup glory, will not be reunited, according to Rob Andrew, the Rugby Football Union's director of elite rugby. Former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio recently called for Woodward to come in as a mentor for rookie coach Johnson, who has endured a difficult start to his tenure. Johnson captained under Woodward during the 2003 World Cup success. But Andrew does not think their working relationship should be revived.
"We've got to let Martin get on and build a team in his own image," said Andrew. "I think when you look back Martin was probably the one that was actually keeping Clive in check when he was captain of the side. "I think he was the one that really put a lot of the stuff in place. People talk about Clive mentoring Martin, but sometimes during Clive's reign it was actually Martin mentoring Clive." Andrew believes Johnson, who took charge last year, has put a strong structure in place and expects him to deliver long-term success.
"Martin knows exactly what he wants to do," he added. "He has made massive strides in six months. "We always knew it was going to be a difficult task. We want to rebuild, and Martin is the guy to do that. "Martin was put in place to get some direction, leadership and a winning mentality back into English rugby. * PA