Rob Andrew, the elite rugby director who in April dispensed with Ashtonís services and appointed Martin Johnson instead, is well out of it as Englandís tour manager in New Zealand.

The unpublicised meeting of English rugbyís ultimate authority has been called in defiance of Twickenham. It is being held in a law firmís offices in Birmingham, a deliberately long way from the corridors of power.

One councillor forecast that there could be dramatic consequences for individuals up to and including chief executive Francis Baron, who has not been invited to attend. ìThe most valuable thing in a business is the people in it,î said the insider.

ìRugby as a sport has a reputation for gentlemanly conduct and yet suddenly we have gone against everything we stood for. Brian Ashton deserves great credit for the way he has conducted himself. Nobody deserves to be treated that way. There may be huge ramifications from this meeting.î

Those responsible for the post-Six Nations coup which saw Johnson installed as team manager from July and Ashton, above, offered a sop as head coach of the national academy are liable to come in for severe censure. And after six weeks Ashton is still considering whether he wishes to carry on working for the people who turned against him.

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