[denphone]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011...martin-johnson

Sir Clive Woodward told Martin Johnson he would be "mad" to become England coach, when he was offered the post in 2008. Woodward, who coached England to World Cup success in 2003, warned Johnson he needed to experience coaching at club level before thinking about the national side. "We had a conversation in 2008 about whether he should take the job when he was first offered it," Woodward told the Sunday Times. "I told him that he would be mad to do so, that he had to work with Leicester first so that he could really earn his stripes as a coach. He has the qualities to be an outstanding coach, just as good as he was as a player and captain, but even he cannot learn this job at the very top level on the hoof."

If England are ever to return to the top then they need to reappoint Sir Clive Woodward to the job or else they are set to languish in the second division of nations for the forseeable future.