English fans of rugby union have been left feeling angry, frustrated, and dejected following the recent performances of the national side. Humbling defeats at the hands of teams including South Africa and New Zealand have chipped away at the national pride felt by those who still remember the glory days of 2003, when the England rugby team beat Australia to win the World Cup in impressive style.

However, one person who simply refuses to believe that the England team has frustrated fans recently is Rob Andrew, the national union’s director of elite rugby.

According to Andrew, all is well in the English rugby union world. He has given his full backing to the coaching team which includes individuals including Brian Smith, Jon Callard, and Mike Ford, and believes that Martin Johnson is the right man to be leading the national side at this time.

Andrew recognised that the coaches have had a tough start but the director still thinks that a “rebuilding process” is underway and, as such, the recent performances and results should have been expected.

Andrew’s words seem slightly unrealistic. After all, even Martin Johnson has admitted that work needs to be done. The manager revealed that the team needs “to improve” in all areas and simply needs to “get better” very quickly.

Despite the dissatisfaction felt by England fans recently, Andrew believes that supporters “understand the difficulties and the difficult job that Martin has been given”. He has urged patience during the build-up to the 2011 World Cup.