Brian Ashton's future as coach of the England rugby union team was expected to be clarified yesterday when Rob Andrew, the elite rugby director of the Rugby Football Union (RFU), delivered his review of the Six Nations to the national governing body's management board.
England, despite losing to both Wales and Scotland, finished second in the tournament -- their highest Six Nations placing since 2003, when they completed a Grand Slam before winning the World Cup.
But reports have since emerged that Martin Johnson, England's World Cup-winning captain of five years ago, has been contacted by Andrew regarding his taking on a new managerial role.
Ashton has made it clear ever since becoming England coach in 2006 that he would like to have a manager on board to help with administrative duties but not someone who would reduce his authority with regard to purely rugby matters.
Although Johnson has no coaching experience, the double British and Irish Lions captain is unlikely to be satisfied with a figurehead role without any meaningful input into the team's preparations.
Even though England reached last year's World Cup final under Ashton's guidance, after he was parachuted in following the unsuccessful reign of Andy Robinson, his position has been repeatedly called into question.
Former England internationals Lawrence Dallaglio and Mike Catt both suggested in their autobiographies, published after last year's World Cup, that England had reached the final in Paris, where they lost to South Africa, in spite of and not because of Ashton.
Ashton's supporters insist the coach, who has set great store by players having the ability to work things out for themselves on the pitch, has been unfairly maligned and point to England's recent finishes in their two most important competitions -- the World Cup and the Six Nations -- as proof he must be doing something right.
Unlike many head coaches, Ashton didn't select his own backroom staff but "inherited" forwards chief John Wells and defense specialist Mike Ford.
There have been repeated reports of the trio clashing and the position of both Ford and Wells is set to be considered in Andrew's report.
Meanwhile South Africa's World Cup-winning coach Jake White, who quit the Springboks soon after their triumph in Paris, has reiterated his interest in becoming England coach.
Austin Healey, a former teammate of Johnson's who, like the ex-England captain, has no coaching experience, has been touted a someone who could advise the backs even though that is Ashton's primary area of expertise.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
After fleeing Sudan when civil war erupted, Al-Hilal captain Mohamed Abdelrahman and his teammates have defied the odds to reach the CAF Champions League quarter-finals. They are today to face title-holders Al-Ahly of Egypt in Cairo, with the return match in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, on Tuesday next week. Al-Hilal and biggest domestic rivals Al-Merrikh relocated to Mauritania after a power struggle broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary force. The civil war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced more than 12 million people, according to the UN. The Democratic Republic of the Congo-born Al-Hilal
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Matvei Michkov did not score on Monday, but the Philadelphia rookie had a hand in both goals as hosts the Flyers earned a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Ryan Poehling and Jamie Drysdale got the goals for the Flyers (31-36-9, 71 points), who won their third straight. Michkov and Travis Konecny assisted on both. Ivan Fedotov stopped 28 shots to earn his first win since March 1, ending a personal six-game losing streak. Zachary L’Heureux got the lone goal for Nashville. Michael McCarron and Brady Skjei got the assists for the Predators (27-39-8, 62 points), who have just four goals in their
RSS