Andrew rules out Woodward return

Rob Andrew has dismissed any suggestion World Cup-winning coach Clive Woodward could be brought back to work alongside current England manager Martin Johnson.

Former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio recently called for Woodward to come in as a mentor for rookie boss Johnson, who has endured a difficult start to his tenure.

Johnson captained under Woodward during the 2003 World Cup success. But Andrew, the Rugby Football Union's director of elite rugby, does not think their working relationship should be revived.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live's 'Sportsweek' programme: "We've got to let Martin get on and build a team in his own image.

"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."

Woodward stepped down from his England position in 2004 and is now the director of elite performance at the British Olympic Association.

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 said. "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.

"One of the reasons Martin was put in place was to get some direction and leadership and get a winning mentality back into English rugby.

"There is plenty of coaching experience in Martin's team. He is managing that team, putting his own spin on things - which is exactly what we want."