England manager Johnson considers future

Auckland Martin Johnson was considering his future as England manager following his side's crushing World Cup exit at the hands of France.

Johnson, the man who led England to World Cup glory as a player in 2003, saw his dream of achieving the double as a coach shattered after a calamitous first 40 minutes, which saw his men slump 16-0 behind.

Asked about his future in light of his contract expiring in November, Johnson said: "We'll see. Give it a couple of days. I think if anything I'll honestly assess myself and how we've been and we'll see how we go. I'm not getting into that conversation [about his future] now. It's not the right place and not the right people or the right time."

Johnson at least retains the support of his players, who rallied to his cause on Saturday night. Scrum-half Ben Youngs said: "[The Rugby Football Union] would be absolutely foolish not to keep him in the role he has at the moment. I want him to lead us into the Six Nations. I can't praise him enough. I have nothing but respect for Johnno."

— The Telegraph Group Limited, London 2011