LONDON: Rob Andrew faced renewed criticism as the fallout from leaked and damning reports regarding England’s shambolic World Cup campaign saw Britain’s sports minister slam the team’s management structure.

Andrew, who has headed England’s governing Rugby Football Union elite performance department since 2006, came under fire last week following the resignation of team manager Martin Johnson – the third national team boss who had come and gone during his reign.

Many observers felt he should have offered Johnson, who’d never managed or coached before, more support.

Andrew’s critics were riled by the former England flyhalf’s refusal to accept any responsibility for a World Cup where the team fell short of its minimum semifinal target with a quarterfinal loss to France.

Contents from the reviews undertaken by the RFU, the Rugby Players’ Association and the English Premiership clubs appeared Wednesday across eight pages in The Times newspaper.

The reports contain quotes from Andrew and unnamed players which paint the picture of a disunited squad, riven by a lack of trust under the leadership of a management team out of their depth.

Some players are accused, both by Andrew and their teammates, of being more concerned with their earning potential than their rugby.

Sports Minister Hugh Robertson, while careful not to name Andrew specifically, said: “It is difficult not to conclude that the high performance system around the England team did not function in the way that it ought to.

“The most important thing for the RFU coming out of the disaster of the last World Cup is to seize the moment and use this as a time to reform and renew the performance structures around the England team.

“Their ambition should be to produce a high performance system for the England team that should be the envy of every other rugby union around the world.

“The RFU are incredibly well financed. They have now got to produce an England team that can not only compete at the next World Cup but can be a team the country can be proud of.”

But for the time being some of the RFU’s attention is being directed toward finding out who leaked the reports, with disciplinary chief Judge Jeff Blackett aiming to deliver his findings within two weeks.

Furious RPA chief executive Damian Hopley described the leaking of the documents, which were never intended for publication, as an “absolute disgrace.”

While all the player quotes remain unattributed, Hopley said: “I am absolutely devastated that our RPA members’ trust has been so publicly betrayed. Players voluntarily took part in these interviews and gave their honest and frank assessment of England’s Rugby World Cup campaign.

“The aim was to be completely open and transparent and players should be respected for refusing to shy away from some of the problems encountered.

“Players were critical of themselves, of the coaching team and of the RFU and its leadership.”