Woodward's relationship with Rob Andrew is key

Sir Clive Woodward polarises opinion. The great worry many will have about his return to such an influential position in rugby is that he will try to implement more of the ideas that cost the RFU £40million as he put together the 2003 World Cup winning team.

It is difficult to see how Woodward and Rob Andrew can work together because they have no common ground and it will be up to CEO John Steele to sort this out.

He knows Woodward well and will be confident of keeping him in check when he returns.

Martyn Thomas, the RFU chairman, is another Woodward supporter and together with Steele they will have the job of making sure his return is a major success, with the 2015 World Cup the target he will have to hit.

Woodward's return to a leading role has been expected since he lost out on a casting vote to Andrew for the elite rugby director's role in 2006.

That was a political decision designed to ensure there was no warfare between Woodward and former chief executive Francis Baron, who was reluctant to break the bank and left the Union in a solvent position when he finally stood down.