JOHN WELLS and Mike Ford have welcomed the chance to carry on as England assistant coaches alongside Head Coach Brian Ashton.

The trio's re-appointment was approved by the Rugby Football Union Management Board yesterday following the conclusion of the RFU's RWC 2007 review.

Former Leicester flanker Wells said: "It's a great opportunity to continue to build on the performances of the forwards during the Rugby World Cup and to work with Brian and Mike to take England on. We were aware that there would be a review after the Rugby World Cup, and rightly so, but now that has happened we can prepare for the RBS 6 Nations.

"We have an exciting group of young forwards coming through such as James Haskell, Luke Narraway at Gloucester and Jordan Crane at Leicester, while Tom Rees is looking like he is back to his best.  These guys will be looking to challenge the group of players who did so well during the World Cup and we are excited about what's ahead of us."

Ford added: "I am pleased that we can build on what was achieved in France and I am looking forward to getting back together for the Six Nations. We have come a long way since the start of the year and now we have a chance to move England on to another level."