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According to Radio 5 Live, Budgies have cancelled their pre-season media "date", increasing speculation that Rob Andrew will be appointed Elite Director.

Has no-one at the RFU seen the Premiership table from the last few years? RA is everything that is wrong with Falcons, and they want him to ruin England too?

I would prefer Rob Andrew as head coach instead of Andy Robinson even though I'm a Glawster supporter.
The reason he gets stick at Kingsholm is nothing to do with his ability as a coach
My only other choice would be Richard Hill who has done a marvellous job at Bristol with limited resources.
Perhaps we might see a back line capable of using the ball provided by the forwards.
As long as Robinson is in charge of the team we have no chance.

The fact that just these 2 guys are left in the selection process, tells us how so few alternatives were actually interested in the post. That is what we shouls be looking at.

The fact that just these 2 guys are left in the selection process, tells us how so few alternatives were actually interested in the post. That is what we shouls be looking at.

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Well, who else is there? Ideally you want someone who has experience of English rugby, who is a good organiser and he has a good rapport with the clubs.

Warren Gatland would have been a good choice, but he is a kiwi and it's not surprising he wants to stay back at home. Nick Mallett has already turned several other jobs down to be with his family, and Eddie Jones was a joke to begin with.

Who else in England could do the job? Dean Richards has only just started rebuilding Quins, PSA has been touted to replace Laporte after the World Cup, who else?

I'm a falcons season ticket holder and to be perfectly honest there are a large number of people up here who wouldn't mind him leaving. However despite that he has done an excellent job bringing rugby to the North East.

I think that in a directoral role rather than coaching he could do a good job for England and he will certainly shake things up.

One thing to watch out for is his 5 year plans at falcons we are currently in year 10 of a 5 year plan!!!!

I agree - the RFU seems to think a director of rugby is a necessary position to create (although I think if the coaches and backroom staff were doing their jobs effectively there wouldn't be an issue). I'm damn sure Rob Andrew is a better choice all round then Sir Clive Woodward. He has had his time, he won us a World Cup, and now he's moved on. End of story. To bring him back would be a total backward step.
At least Andrew has nurtured a few promising youngsters at Newcastle in his time there (Noon and Tate amongst others). Added to that he has a good releationship with the clubs and bringing him in might put a rocket up Andy Robinson's backside and help sort out some of the selectorial farces that have blightened recent England games.
We all want to see England back to command a dominant force in world rugby, and I am unconvinced this will happen with just Robinson at the helm. He hasn't convinced me at all.

"For an Elite Director, I'd rather have someone who has a record of delivering the goods, not just mouthing off about the problems & then not taking action to achieve them."


That pretty much sums it up in my opinion. Which leaves Sir Clive. He did organise things well in his time and made sure that the players had what they needed to succeed. In fact, given the nature of the role I can't understand anyone's objection to him taking it.

I can understand people finding him irritating... but that doesn't mean he isn't the best man for the job.

There is a strong roumor that it is Dean Richards.... This will be announced by 12:00 Thursday..

The point was that the Elite Director is to be foremost a problem fixer.

If RA is a problem fixer, you'd have expected him to fix the problems at his own club !

At least he's a younger man more in tune with today's players than most people associated with the RFU.

And on the plus side it keeps Sir Clive in poserball land. Going back to him would be a big mistake!