Ashton remains England coach as RFU plan more meetings

By Mitch Phillips

LONDON (Reuters) - England's coaching set-up remained unchanged on Wednesday after the Rugby Football Union (RFU) management board gave elite rugby director Rob Andrew more time to search for a team manager and another specialist coach.

Andrew has been talking to former captain Martin Johnson about a possible management role and there had been widespread speculation that if the iconic World Cup winner were to come on board it would lead to the departure of head coach Brian Ashton.

However, after receiving Andrew's interim report on the Six Nations championship the board, in traditional RFU style, told him to keep talking while they decided if they needed to schedule an extra meeting before their planned next meeting in April.

"The Management Board congratulated the England senior team in finishing second in the Six Nations, a significant improvement on previous years," the RFU said in a statement.

"The Management Board accepted Rob Andrew's interim report and was unanimous in authorising him to continue the discussions currently under way to strengthen the England team structure through the recruitment of a Team Manager and an additional specialist coach."

Ashton, 61, a coach with a love of attacking rugby, was appointed in December 2006 following a dire run under Andy Robinson and led England to the World Cup final last year and last month to second place in the Six Nations, their best finish for five years.

However, both of those achievements came after early defeats - a shocking 36-0 pool thrashing by eventual winners South Africa in the World Cup and a 26-19 home loss to Wales in a game where England appeared to be cruising to victory.

Whether the turnarounds were a result of Ashton's coaching or, as suggested by former captains Mike Catt and Lawrence Dallaglio, more to do with the players taking control, has been a constant discussion point.