Rob Andrew has accused Sir Clive Woodward and his coaching staff of leaving the England team in a mess after their 2003 World Cup triumph.

Woodward stepped down after leading England to victory over Australia in Sydney and Andrew, the English Rugby Football Union's elite performance director, is convinced the coaches' failure to plan for the future was to blame for the team's dismal form in the aftermath.

"Without naming names, I do want to make the point that the 2003 World Cup coaching team effectively left no legacy to the English game," he told the Daily Mail.

"As a result, the elite end of the sport in this country was in a terrible state.

"I have no wish to personalise the issue. There was no structure, no real long-term planning, no development strategy.

"When the edifice fell over after the 2003 World Cup, there was nothing behind it."

AFP

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