The England manager, Martin Johnson, will resist any attempt to get him to change his coaching staff as part of a Rugby Football Union review of the international season. England won three of their eight Tests and finished third in the Six Nations, which they have not won since 2003.Johnson will this morning meet the RFU's elite rugby director, Rob Andrew, to discuss the season and plot a way forward, with the 2011 World Cup 17 months away. The manager's position is not under threat but he will come under pressure from some at the RFU to review the structure and make-up of his coaching team.
Andrew's department will also come under scrutiny. He is Johnson's line manager, which means that any concerns or issues RFU officials may have should be expressed through him. The governing body is concerned that England's failure to arrest a slump that started almost as soon as they won the 2003 World Cup will start to have an impact commercially. Ticket prices at Twickenham will rise next season, to take into account the restoration of the 17.5% VAT rate.
Since 2004 England have won four of 24 matches against the three major southern hemisphere nations; have beaten Ireland once; and have lost more matches than they have won against France and Wales in the Six Nations.
Since 2003, in 26 away Tests (not including those played at neutral venues) against New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Ireland, Wales, France, Scotland and Argentina, they have won three times – twice in Paris and once at Murrayfield.
