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LONDON - England have lost eight of their last nine games, leading to widespread speculation that coach Andy Robinson will be out of his post before the Six Nations and possibly as early as this week.
While fans eagerly await news from the Rugby Football Union (RFU), we examine the options available with less than a year to go before England defend the World Cup:
* Andy Robinson. Although Robinson is liked and respected throughout the game, even the conservative RFU would have a tough job explaining why they backed the coach again having sacked his three assistants in April and seen no improvement.
Robinson, who has 18 months left on his contract, has said consistently that he would not resign but it seems inconceivable that he can stay in his job after losing 13 of his 22 games in charge.
* Brian Ashton. England's attack coach could be promoted to the position of head coach. Ashton is widely respected in the game and though England have shown little attacking nous since his return to the fold this year, he is not completely tainted by England's slide down the rankings.
Whether fellow assistants John Wells and Mike Ford stay remains open to question.
* Rob Andrew. Appointed director of elite rugby in August this year, he has looked on aghast as England lost three out of four November internationals. As a former coach and director with Newcastle, and experienced England first five-eighths, Andrew could be asked to take a more hands-on approach, perhaps working with Ashton.
* Warren Gatland. The RFU would probably be reluctant to follow their soccer counterparts at the FA and go down the overseas route but if they did, New Zealander Gatland would almost certainly be on their short list.
He led Wasps to three consecutive Premiership titles and the Heineken Cup, has international experience from three years in charge of Ireland and is popular.
He is contracted with New Zealand's Waikato until the end of 2007 but would be tough to prise away having returned because his children have started school.
* Nick Mallett. The highly-respected former South Africa coach was born in England but moved to then-Rhodesia and then South Africa as a child.
He led the Springboks to a record winning run of 17 consecutive tests from 1997-98 before resigning in 2000. A former Oxford University rugby and cricket Blue, he is contracted until the end of 2007 as director of rugby at Western Province, also having returned to South Africa for his son's schooling.
* Dean Richards. The former England number eight built a reputation as a no-nonsense coach and then director of rugby with Leicester. He moved to Grenoble in France and is now director of rugby at Harlequins -- the club based a couple of hundred metres from Twickenham. Whether the RFU would welcome his abrasive personality is open to question but he is one man who would not be afraid of making unpopular decisions.
* Richard Hill. The former England halfback has won a host of admirers by his transformation of Bristol from second division strugglers into Premiership leaders. However, he signed a new four-year contract only last week so if the RFU wanted him he would be an expensive option.
* Dean Ryan. Moved from Bristol to Gloucester and has turned a young squad into title challengers. Probably considered too inexperienced at this stage but could possibly be offered some sort of assistant role -- which he probably would not want.
* Martin Johnson. A long shot. England's World Cup-winning captain has had no coaching experience and has been pretty much out of the game since retiring in 2005. There could be an opportunity for a return in some sort of consultancy/inspirational role.
* Clive Woodward. An even longer shot. The man who turned England into the dominant team in world rugby walked out citing frustration with the RFU's failure to secure more player preparation time. Rumoured to have been tempted by Andrew's director of elite rugby role, it is unlikely he would come back again, especially having landed a plum role overseeing all Britain's Olympic sports.
- REUTERS
