England head coach position: Andy Robinson will today move a step closer to being installed as England's permanent head coach. Robinson's position will be discussed during a scheduled meeting of the English Rugby Football Union's (RFU) management board.

It is understood the RFU will not advertise the head coaching job, which will increase the chances of Robinson (40), being confirmed in the role full-time before England's November Tests at Twickenham against Canada, South Africa and Australia.

However, any appointment is unlikely to be rubber-stamped before the end of the month.

Should things drag on deep into October, the RFU will stand accused of showing insufficient faith in Robinson, particularly if he is left dangling until December, with his fate dependent on his team's results against the Springboks and the Wallabies.

The former Bath coach, who has been involved with England since 2000, has received fresh endorsement from Clive Woodward, who claims in his new book Winning! that Robinson deserved the squad's World Cup success "more than anyone I can name".

"He has the ability to take over from me and I just hope, if that happens, that he finds someone as good as I had to be his number two," said Woodward.

Having stepped down from his post after seven years, Woodward is also insisting Robinson must "grasp the bulls by the horns" and launch his tenure by picking a new side.

"The England team has got to change now, it has to move forward very quickly and he has got to be responsible for that change," stressed Woodward.

"I think Andy Robinson is bright enough to understand you can't sit still."

Woodward, who attended a Lions planning meeting yesterday, also says he would not rule out a return to the elite end of English rugby in the future, despite his continuing interest in transferring his managerial and organisational skills to football.