England's World Cup winning-coach Sir Clive Woodward in frame for France job

French newspaper L'Equipe has reported that Woodward, who led England to World Cup glory in 2003, is on an eight-strong shortlist of candidates to replace Saint-Andre after this year's World Cup.

Toulouse's highly-decorated boss Guy Noves, the coach who has won more European titles than anyone else, remains the front-runner to replace ex-Sale and Toulon chief Saint-Andre after the autumn's World Cup.

L'Equipe claim Woodward met France rugby bosses at their Marcoussis headquarters last month, where he formalised his interest in the role.

Former Leicester centre Woodward coached England from 1997 to 2004 overseeing the World Cup triumph in Australia in 2003.

After leading the British and Irish Lions on a Test-whitewash tour of New Zealand in 2005, Woodward joined the British Olympic Association, leaving shortly after the London 2012 Olympic games.

France boss Saint-Andre has come under fire for not just a mediocre record of 15 wins in 37 Tests but also a pragmatic gameplan at odds with Les Bleus' traditional free-spirited attack.

Fabien Pomies, rugbyrama.fr: "It's definitely a possibility, since L'Equipe is a reliable source. However, we think that Woodward will not be nominated by the seven people committee who choose in the FFR. Guy Noves is the favourite and has already formed his staff (Yannick Bru and Jean-Frédéric Dubois).

"France has never had a foreign coach and it is difficult to imagine that it will change now with the debate going on in France about foreign players getting selected for Les Bleus.

"As for Clive Woodward himself? He is respected in France for his World Cup title in 2003. But it would be a surprise to see him as the head coach of the French national team... especially because he is English.

"So of the eight candidates selected by the FFR, Woodward is far from not the favourite. It's not just Noves who is ahead of him in the queue: Fabien Galthie and Raphael Ibanez are both in front of him too, simply because they played for the French XV."