Robinson will be in charge for the Autumn internationals

Robinson will be England's acting coach during the Autumn internationals following the resignation of Sir Clive Woodward on Friday.

And Woodward has recommended his former deputy to succeed him permanently.

RFU chief executive Francis Baron told the BBC: "Andy is a very strong candidate but he knows he has to go through the established process."

But Baron admitted Robinson - who was a senior coach in Woodward's England set-up with responsibility for the forwards - was in a strong position.

"Andy is acting head coach until the Autumn internationals," he told BBC Radio Five Live.

"He knows the issues and we are going to be working together with the objective of retaining the World Cup in 2007 which no other country has ever done.

Clive is very forthright with his views and I don't have problem with him expressing them but I don't agree with all of them Francis Baron

"We will continue to have to fight battles to get to that position but things do not come delivered on a plate - particularly in competitive sport.

"But all issues will be discussed when the selection panel meets next week.

"I will be a member of the panel, but there will probably be four other people - very, very senior and experienced ex-international players - on it as well and we will have that debate."

And Baron refused to rule out the possibility of a foreign coach being appointed to the job.

"It is not for me to say - it's for the selection panel," he said.

Baron also revealed the RFU's sadness at Woodward's decision to leave the England job.

"Clive and I have been fighting battles and winning most of them for the last four years," he said.

"There are still a lot of issues to resolve, but we are making very significant progress foward so I am disappointed that at this early stage that he decided on a career move.

Baron (right) looks grim-faced as Woodward explains his reasons for going

"Clive is very forthright with his views and I don't have problem with him expressing them but I don't agree with all of them.

"We also have to remember that it was the RFU that wished him to remain in his job and fulfill his contract. But it was Clive who decided to terminate his contract and go and do other things."

Baron also admitted he was bemused by how quickly the relationship between the RFU and Woodward had deteriorated following 2003's triumph down under.

"It's a bit of a mystery to us because I believe that what we have been working very hard at since the World Cup is towards an even better structure for the England team," he said.

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"Looking forward to the next World Cup we had just struck a three-year agreement with our clubs which provides a much better base for the England team than this time four years ago."

Baron also dismissed Woodward's criticism that England internationals are forced to play too many games and that burn-out had resulted in the loss of key players such as Martin Johnson and Lawrence Dallaglio.

"I didn't agree with what Clive said at his press conference," he added.