Salary cap rise raises concerns Clubs look to deal with burn-out

Cotton, a member of the RFU management board, said England coach Andy Robinson's plans were being undermined by a lack of preparation time.

"Andy's facing a mission impossible," Cotton told BBC Radio Five Live.

"We've got from first to sixth in the world in 18 months and those rankings do reflect your standing."

The former England captain said England had gone backwards since the end of Sir Clive Woodward's reign as coach.

England have lost eight of their last 11 Tests, and have generally failed to impress since their 2003 World Cup triumph.

Clubs need to know their players are available to them but at the moment the balance is completely wrong Fran Cotton

Cotton blamed the situation on an unsatisfactory agreement between Premier Rugby Ltd (PRL) - the umbrella group for the 12 Zurich Premiership clubs - and the RFU.

"Clive had 20 days with his players throughout the season and had five months running up the World Cup," said Cotton.

"The benefit of that was that England won a Grand Slam and a World Cup.

"Because the Premiership is such an attritional competition, what you've got now is Andy Robinson turning up to training sessions with half his players injured.

"It's come about because of fudging the issue and allowing a deal to be done between PRL and the RFU which was never going to deliver what England needed.

"Everybody's aware of it and we're in the process of trying to re-negotiate that agreement."

Cotton was reluctant to use the term "central contracts", but admitted that the control of England players should lie with England bosses.

"Central contracts is a very emotive term," he said.

"There needs to be far more control for Andy Robinson.

"Clubs need to know their players are available to them for certain games. We all understand that - but at the moment the balance is completely wrong.

"If the status quo remains, I think England will do well to get past the quarter-finals at the next World Cup."

England should select the 100 players they want in the squad and pay them Keith Barwell Northampton chairman

Cotton was accused of being "completely out of touch with the modern game" by Northampton chairman Keith Barwell.

Barwell went on to propose a radical change whereby England players would split from club rugby altogether.

"The games that England have lost recently have been because we can't kick our goals and we're playing absolute rubbish," he told BBC Radio Five Live.

"That's nothing to do with lack of preparation."

"The clubs pay �24m this season in wages. This will just force clubs to bring in more and more foreign players."

"I think the best idea is for England to select the 100 players they want in the squad, to sign them on and to pay them. The clubs will sign the players that they want to play and we'll go about it that way.