Woodward misses big Palace day
Clive Woodward and Martin Johnson, the key members of England's World Cup winning squad, were missing today as the rest of the players received their New Year's honours at Buckingham Palace.
Woodward, who resigned from the post as head coach to concentrate on leading the Lions to New Zealand next summer, will be knighted on Friday while captain Johnson has to arrange a later date to receive his CBE.
Johnson is out of the country raising money for charity through his testimonial year while Royal experts said it is unusual for a knighthood to be given at a different time when it was part of a team awards day.
With Woodward and Johnson, the man who lifted the trophy in Sydney on 22 November, missing, it only served to highlight the massive changes English rugby is having to deal with this season.
Retirements, injuries and loss of form have changed the face of the Cup-winning squad and made it a tough task for Andy Robinson, the new head coach, to halt a run of five losses in the last six games.
England name a 40-strong squad today for next month's Tests with Canada, South Africa and Australia at Twickenham. Having dropped Matt Dawson for choosing to record an edition of BBC's Question of Sport rather then train with England, Robinson has to decide if he can afford to ignore his vast experience.
The choice of captain to succeed Lawrence Dallaglio will not be made until next month following the injury to first choice Jonny Wilkinson, who was at the Palace today.
Wilkinson gets an OBE to go with the MBE he received earlier. Prop Jason Leonard (the world's most-capped player) also receives an OBE, while the rest of the players are awarded MBE's.
