Andy Robinson was still in his post as coach of the England rugby team on Tuesday with the Rugby Football Union (RFU) refusing to confirm reports throughout the British media that he had resigned.
An RFU spokesperson reiterated that a review, which started on Monday, into world champions England’s November home international programme, was continuing.
”The position is unchanged, the review is ongoing,” the spokesperson told the media on Tuesday, having previously confirmed that former England flanker Robinson would not be attending the first of several days of World Cup-planning meetings for team coaches and managers starting in Paris on Tuesday.
England lost three out of their four home matches at Twickenham in November, going down to New Zealand and Argentina and South Africa although they did manage a scrappy win in the first of two Tests over the Springboks.
Discussions continued on Tuesday, although it was not known if Robinson (42), who has repeatedly insisted he will not ”walk away”, was in attendance.
His contract, which runs until 2008, is worth in excess of £200 000 pounds a year and that means making him go now is likely to cost the RFU a significant sum of money.
Robinson has seen England win a mere nine of his 22 Tests in charge, with just a solitary away victory, since he replaced 2003 World Cup-winning coach Sir Clive Woodward two years ago.
And Robinson’s period in charge of the world champions also saw them chalk up a record-equalling seven straight Test defeats this month.
There has been widespread speculation for several months that Robinson, previously Woodward’s deputy, would be axed before next year’s World Cup in France.
This intensified after last weekend’s 25-14 defeat to an under-strength South Africa at Twickenham — England’s eighth loss in nine Tests.
After the match Robinson made it clear he wanted, as is agreed RFU procedure, to write a detailed report on the four November matches and have it considered by a December 7 meeting of the governing body’s management board.
England endured a wretched month, losing by a Twickenham record 41-20 to New Zealand, and 25-18 to Argentina before a scrappy 23-21 first Test win over South Africa at Twickenham prevented a record eighth successive loss.
Booed off after their defeats by the Pumas and the Springboks, England have only 10 Tests remaining before their World Cup defence starts against the United States in Lens on September 8.
A replacement for Robinson will need to be chosen quickly if they are to be in place come the start of England’s 2007 Six Nations campaign at home to Scotland on February 3.
It is understood the existing coaching team of Brian Ashton (backs), John Wells (forwards) and Mike Ford (defence), appointed six months ago after the axeing of England’s previous backroom staff, will be retained.
If that is the case, and given they will have to report to director of rugby Rob Andrew, many of the candidates touted as possible successors to Robinson may not want to accept working within such constraints.
So far former South Africa coach Nick Mallett, Kiwi former Wasps boss Warren Gatland, Bristol’s Richard Hill, Gloucester’s Dean Ryan and Harlequins’ Dean Richards have all been linked with the England post.
So too has England World Cup-winning captain Martin Johnson even though the now-retired lock has no record of coaching or managing at senior level.
Robinson was angered that commercial considerations led to the late addition of the All Blacks match, which the RFU saw as a money spinning way of celebrating the opening of Twickenham’s new south stand.
The coach argued this reduced the time he needed to get the side ready for the gruelling challenge of Argentina which, like their other matches this month, saw England make numerous basic errors. — Sapa-AFP