Will Greenwood questions make-up of RFU's World Cup review panel
Monday 19 October 2015 23:19, UK
Will Greenwood has questioned Sir Clive Woodward's omission from the RFU panel named to review England's performance at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
A five-man group including former British & Irish Lions head coach Sir Ian McGeechan, 2003 World Cup winner Ben Kay and RFU chief executive Ian Ritchie will meet to explain England's performance.
Greenwood fears the panel's composition could lead to a repeat of the mistakes made in previous reviews.
"Clive is the elephant in the room. I'd have him there all day long," said Greenwood. "From the outside what you see is samey, samey. [The] same group making potentially the same mistakes.
"If you want a dynamic group of people to come in and go 'right, what's wrong what can we do?', Woodward should be in the room.
"The argument is keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. Now Clive is not an enemy but he's a ghost."
Ritchie ratified Stuart Lancaster's permanent appointment as England head coach in 2012 and then gave him a new contract lasting until 2020.
McGeechan was on the panel that advised Lancaster be given the post and backed the 46-year-old as recently as two weeks ago.
"England have a strong coaching team in Lancaster, Andy Farrell and Graham Rowntree. I cannot see anything better out there which is readily available," said McGeechan.
The five-man panel, which is completed by former Football Association boss Ian Watmore and professional game board chairman Ian Metcalfe, will present their recommendations to the RFU board on November 17.
