Rob Andrew has dismissed any suggestion that the World Cup-winning coach Sir Clive Woodward could return to the England set-up to work alongside the manager, Martin Johnson.

The former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio recently called for Woodward to come in as a mentor for rookie manager Johnson, who captained the side under Woodward during the 2003 World Cup success but has endured a difficult start to his tenure.

However, Andrew, the Rugby Football Union's director of elite rugby, does not think their working relationship should be revived. "We've got to let Martin get on and build a team in his own image," he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek. "I think when you look back Martin was probably the one that was actually keeping Clive in check when he was captain of the side. I think he was the one that really put a lot of the stuff in place. People talk about Clive mentoring Martin but sometimes during Clive's reign it was actually Martin mentoring Clive."

Andrew believes Johnson, who took charge last year, has put a strong structure in place and expects him to deliver long-term success. "Martin knows exactly what he wants to do," he said.

"He has made massive strides in six months. We always knew it was going to be a difficult task. We want to rebuild, and Martin is the guy to do that. One of the reasons Martin was put in place was to get some direction and leadership and get a winning mentality back into English rugby. There is plenty of coaching experience in Martin's team. He is managing that team, putting his own spin on things, which is exactly what we want."

Woodward stepped down from his England position in 2004 and is now the director of elite performance at the British Olympic Association.