Ex-RFU chief blasts Robinson farce

The former performance director of the Rugby Football Union Chris Spice insists English rugby chiefs “have to look at themselves” for the mess surrounding head coach Andy Robinson’s protracted exit.

Twickenham top brass are still unable to make an announcement about the England head coach’s departure – more than 72 hours after his final game in charge.

It is believed Robinson will resign, rather than be sacked, from a post he has filled for the past 22 Test matches.

For Spice, who resigned in protest at the RFU’s decision to keep Robinson on in April after a poor performance in the RBS 6 Nations Championship, this was a situation that could have been avoided.

“The RFU were too cautious and would have been much better starting afresh (in April). It was always going to be difficult to bring in new people with the head coach still in place,” Spice told The Guardian.

“(The RFU) have to look at themselves. They also have to look at the process of how decisions affecting the elite game are made. Rather than relying on amateur committee men, there should be professionals in charge.”

England won just nine games during his time at the helm, their 13 defeats including a run of seven successive losses between February and November this year.