Former England international Austin Healey has told Sports Mole that Stuart Lancaster should be relieved of his duties as head coach of the Red Rose.
Twelve months ago Lancaster signed a new contract that tied him to the position until 2020, but England's recent pool-stage exit from the ongoing Rugby World Cup has resulted in calls for the 46-year-old to be sacked.
The RFU have already launched a review as to what went wrong, yet Healey has insisted that the blame must lie with Lancaster.
"The buck has to lie with Stuart Lancaster and his coaches. He's a great guy and his coaches have their merits, but the reality is that you cannot reward failure," he said, speaking as part of Ladbrokes Rugby's 'Who's Got The Balls' campaign.
"There shouldn't be [any way back], no. There is definitely a place for him within the development of players in England, but not at the top level - he's shown that with some of his selections.
"Anyone that has played rugby will tell you that playing Sam Burgess and Brad Barritt together was a massive mistake. Then, selecting George Ford and Owen Farrell together was another mistake."
With regards to a replacement, Healey stressed that the process of selection should be left in the hands of Sir Clive Woodward, who guided England to World Cup glory in 2003.
"The key is to get the selection process right. The only person that is English and has the experience to get that right is Sir Clive Woodward," added the 41-year-old.
"The argument is to perhaps put Clive in charge and let him pick the coaches that could potentially lead the team to World Cups and making a more competitive England side as quickly as possible."
You can read Healey's interview with Sports Mole in full here.
Watch Austin Healey and Jimmy Bullard challenge the values of football and rugby in 'Who's Got The Balls?' at LadbrokesRugby.com #RealBalls.
Liam Apicella
