Probyn wants Richards to replace Ashton

JEFF PROBYN insists Brian Ashton must be replaced as England coach with Dean Richards the ideal candidate to succeed him.

England legend Probyn claims it was a cabal of senior players that masterminded the astonishing march to the World Cup final with Ashton only a peripheral figure.

Director of elite rugby Rob Andrew will complete his review of the tournament next month when he will make a decision on the future of Ashton, whose contract is up for renewal in December.

Victorious Springbok coach Jake White and England great Martin Johnson have been touted as possible replacements or additions, while Andrew himself could adopt a more hands-on role.

But Probyn, who won 37 caps, insists his former England team-mate and current Harlequins director of rugby Dean Richards should lead the national side to New Zealand in 2011.

“Brian is not the best man for the job,” said the 51-year-old.

“He said before the World Cup and when England were losing that he had no time to put his stamp on the side. But when England start winning everyone changes their opinion of him.

“Brian should continue in a caretaker capacity for the next year until the RFU find the right man to take over for the next seven or eight years.

“That man is Dean Richards who proved at Leicester he had the right attitude of a head coach – he won four Premiership titles and two Heineken Cups.

“Rob getting more involved in team affairs is not a good idea at all as his role demands he keeps a certain distance from the team itself. Jake is a possibility but we want an Englishman and there’s no reason why we need to look abroad for a head coach.”

It has been claimed that several senior players effectively took control of the team after the dire 36-0 thrashing by South Africa in the group stage.

Probyn subscribes to this view, suggesting the tactics being played during the knockout stage was not trademark Ashton.

“One assumes Ashton’s influence is what we saw in the Six Nations, the World Cup warm-ups and the opening two pool games of the World Cup when there was a certain amount of confusion,” he said.

‘‘Was it Mike Catt or Brian Ashton making the decisions? I would say it was the players who led England to the final.

“The game being played by the end was not Ashton’s style of play – it was anything but.”