Calls grow for England shake-up

Newspaper reports suggest England coach Andy Robinson could be asked to restructure his backroom staff in the wake of this year’s Six Nations campaign.

The inquests have already begun following Sunday’s 31-6 loss to France, with backs coach Joe Lydon and defensive guru Phil Larder coming under the most scrutiny.

Geoff Cooke, England manager for the 1991 World Cup, told The Independent: “Joe was a fantastic rugby league player, but does he have the union knowledge to give England an effective attack?

"Our use of the ball against France was terrible.

“None of my rugby friends and colleagues expected that we would do well in Paris, but we were not expecting that it would be so embarrassing.”

Roger Uttley, who coached England during the same campaign, added in the same newspaper: “Every organisation needs some sort of rethink on a fairly regular basis to keep it up to the mark.

“The guys in place have been there for sometime and there could be a need for a few changes.”

The Times, meanwhile, quote an unnamed ‘senior Twickenham official’ as calling for wholesale changes to Robinson’s back-up staff.