O’Shea promoted to national academy director

FORMER Irish international Conor O’Shea has been promoted by the RFU in England to the position of national academy director in a backroom re-shuffle yesterday which saw Andy Robinson retain his position as England coach, but a host of his lieutenants get the chop.

RTÉ pundit O’Shea, currently director of regional academies in England, was promoted to the new position following the resignation of Chris Spice, the current performance director, and the merger of the RFU’s performance department with the England management team to form a new elite rugby department.

Robinson was retained as England head coach following a post-Six Nations review — but his assistants Phil Larder, Joe Lydon and Dave Alred will all be replaced.

The RFU are planning for a more streamlined management team, headed by a new director of elite rugby who will be appointed in the coming months.

RFU chief executive Francis Baron insisted the Rugby Football Union had to make radical changes to England’s management structure or next year’s World Cup defence would end in “unacceptable” failure.

Robinson was retained as head coach but with revised responsibilities. He will now report directly to a director of elite rugby who, in a major new step, will also have a say in selection matters.

Robinson’s trusted assistants Larder, Alred and Lydon were not so fortunate.

The trio will be replaced by full-time attack, defence and forwards coaches who the RFU hope to have in place “comfortably before the tour of Australia” in June.

Despite the growing speculation, the RFU insist they have not made any approaches other than to a member of their own academy coaching staff, who is considering the offer.