Woodward angry at Premiership's refusal to keep bargain

It would be stretching a point to suggest that England's World Cup plans are in tatters, not least because Clive Woodward has yet to put those plans into effect. But the red rose manager is deeply concerned – "completely hacked off", to quote him verbatim – at the on-going refusal of the Premiership clubs to strike a deal on player release that would give him and his Test squad their best shot at winning the 2003 tournament in Australia.

Woodward was at his most anguished at Twickenham yesterday, 24 hours after the clubs, angered by what they considered a breach of confidentiality, boycotted a high-powered meeting at which he presented details of his Elite Player Programme – an 18-month exercise geared towards maximising performance levels in Wallaby country, and based around the twin principles of increased player access and joint club-union management of the top 60 names in the domestic game.

The manager's problem is a simple one: the clubs have yet to buy into those principles. Those Rugby Football Union figures who remain suspicious of the motives of the Premiership fraternity after five bitter years of political bickering are exasperated by what they see as the one-sidedness of the "peace" agreement negotiated a year ago. They point to the clubs' eager acceptance of an annual £1.8m apiece from central funds, and ask what happened to the quid pro quo.

In Woodward's view, the quid pro quo is acceptance of his élite programme. "A year ago, I was the most excited person at the RFU," he said. "The success we had achieved during the years of dispute defied all logic, so the prospect of putting in place a programme that would make us the best prepared side in the world was fantastic. It hasn't happened. I met the 12 Premiership directors of rugby to discuss training dates and the rest of it, and I can only describe it as a shambles, a farce, a waste of time.

"Far from being the best prepared side, I would call us the worst prepared. This year, I've had two days with the squad outside of Test weeks, and we've had a very average 12 months as a result. I have moved a long way from my original proposals, and the plan I have on the table now is an absolute minimum if we are serious about winning the World Cup. I am talking about 16 training days and four fitness testing days. It is perfectly reasonable.

"If we do not want to win the World Cup, I wish people would put up their hands and tell me. We have the expertise and the financial support to be No 1 in the world in terms of preparation – beyond No 1, as we say in the squad. The only thing I don't have is the players, and you cannot do élite coaching without bringing the élite together."

There were veiled threats from Francis Baron, the RFU chief executive, that money could be withheld if there was no solution. "We are charged with implementing the programme, as part of the accord with the clubs and under the terms of our agreement with Sport England, which gives us £8m over three years in return for delivery of a world-class performance plan," he pointed out. "If we reach a situation where the board of England Rugby feels it cannot make a decision... well, we will be in uncharted territory, and we will have to determine the best way forward."