Strange isn't it? When England won the Rugby World Cup 28 months ago under Sir Clive Woodward, the backroom staff featuring Joe Lydon, Phil Larder and Dave Alred amongst others in a huge entourage were considered the brains behind the greatest England team triumph of modern times.
Defensive coach Larder and sevens coach Lydon, gritty Rugby League types, were considered innovative, no-nonsense northern lads who had turned a group of southern softies into hard-tackling demons capable of bullying South Africans and Australians into submission.
Kicking coach Alred, the former Minnesota Vikings American Football kicker, was given the credit for turning Jonny Wilkinson into a points machine, the most consistent boot in the history of the game.
Now, after a second successive fourth-placed finish in the Six Nations, all three are being talked about as surplus to requirements.
Quite where this comes from I'm not sure. According to the Mail on Sunday's back-page report, their ideas are dated, their sergeant-major approach is old-fashioned and the RFU are set to sweep them away in a major upheaval of the England backroom staff.
There is talk about the players resenting their methods and England "having to act".
And Andy Robinson, currently the chief coach and the man who was the number two to Sir Clive Woodward throughout the extraordinary build-up to the Sydney triumph of 2003, looks like staying in his job through to the awkward-looking World Cup defence in France.
Bloody weird if you ask me. Are the RFU putting this stuff about? Look, Robbo is a lovely man. Easy to talk to, honest, straightforward. I always found Lydon and Larder, who did such a good job with the sevens team before joining the national side, slightly intimidating while Alred was a closed book most of the time, except when he was talking about preparation or perfection.
But they know what they're doing these guys, just like scrummaging coach Phil Keith-Roach, Phil Hardy, the guy who spent hours teaching Steve Thompson the art of line-out throwing, and all the others (they even had a peripheral vision coach, a lawyer and a security chief in Australia) who made the 2003 squad what it was: The best-prepared side in the history of rugby.
After the 31-6 surrender in Paris, Larder said: "That was the worst performance I have ever been associated with."
That kind of honesty has been lacking in the camp lately.
On the other hand, Robbo said after the unacceptable third successive Six Nations defeat against Ireland at a stunned Twickenham on Saturday: "I think France was the only game where we didn't play well."
He also claims the "dressing room spark" hasn't been lost, the referees are
costing England dear and, like some poor Premiership manager heading for relegation, he insists he's sticking about until he's pushed.
After losing his eighth game in 16, after a second consecutive fourth-placed finish in the Six Nations, he's saying: "Until I am told otherwise, I am England coach, that's it, end of story.
"I believe we are going in the right direction, I am passionate about this. I have a contract and I intend to honour it.
"There is a full review going on and we will see what we've done. There will be soul-searching.
"There is only one way to go and that's forward."
But what's really happening here? Why are minor coaches being targeted when it's Robbo himself who is making the big mistakes? Look at Saturday... the game was there to be won, Ireland were teetering, but there was no big finish.
Instead, we let Ireland back in... and look at his replacements... on Danny Grewcock, Mike Tindall and Matt Dawson, three of the guys he'd dropped from the Paris game.
Is that an admission he dropped the wrong players? And he leaves our last charismatic leader, Lawrence Dallaglio, kicking his heels.
In the times on Saturday morning, Lol diplomatically said he didn't really enjoy being on the bench at this time of his career, but that he was happy to keep shtum while new captain Martin Corry attempts to put his mark on the team. Some mark.
To be honest, Robbo should go. Three successive defeats. Josh Lewsey, our only world-class player, dropped and saying: "At least it gives me the chance to play some enjoyable rugby with Wasps".
Former captain Jason Robinson quitting before his time. I could go on. I won't. Thing is, Newcastle boss Rob Andrew, the most articulate of English coaches in the Premiership, has said he doesn't want the job.
He says: "It doesn't fit in with my thinking. Newcastle have been very good to me, and I have a five or six-year plan."
So we get rid of Robbo now and it's like England dumping Sven-Goran Eriksson, though the Swede is a lot more adept at international management.
The only consolation is that Wales are in an even worse state. They could only beat Scotland and draw with Italy after their Grand Slam triumph last season and having lost coach Mike Ruddock in a terrible mishmash which will shake Welsh rugby for years to come, it looks like caretaker Scott Johnson is off back to Australia with his scruffy hairstyle and cast-off jumpers too.
Johnson says; "Wales is a different place to work and everyone knows their rugby, suppposedly. There are more coaches and selectors per head of population than anywhere else. Whoever comes in has to wear a heavy coat
of armour on their back and don't let the knives stick in. Even Braveheart didn't have as many bloodstains as I've got." Amen.
France? They take the trophy but manager Jo Maso says: "I would rate our performance as average."
I think that says it all, though with the World Cup at home next year, they are unbeaten in eight.
Truth is, France proved the best of a distinctly average bunch this year. Ireland were little better than average, England and Wales were rubbish. Scotland were better than normal but hardly world class.
The last six weeks have been exciting, unpredictable, surprising... but the main message of the 2006 Six Nation is the All Blacks have very little to worry about next year.
