Barwell Blasts 'arrogant' Union

The new agreement between the Rugby Football Union and the Premiership clubs over the management of elite players may only be a couple of days old but the Northampton owner, Keith Barwell, turned back time yesterday with some scathing remarks about the governing body.

The RFU had a year off from Barwell's verbal assaults when Northampton were relegated but the club's promotion in May has restored its arch-critic's platform. Yesterday he urged the new England manager, Martin Johnson, to shake off the amateurism he feels still pervades an "arrogant" Twickenham.

"I am a great Martin Johnson fan but he has not got very good teachers down at the RFU," said Barwell. "He needs to get some of the Nigels and Ruperts off his back as quickly as possible. The RFU is still in the amateur days, not appreciating that elite rugby has to be more professional. There has been a delay in publishing next season's fixture list because of the clash with the Lions tour. This has been known for months but it has not been sorted out because the RFU is arrogant and does not give two hoots for the clubs. It should be treating us with more respect."

Johnson's first England squad shows an intent to play a faster game. One beneficiary of this is the talented Gloucester back James Simpson-Daniel who has won only 10 caps in six years. "Martin has been great," said the 26-year-old Premiership player of the year yesterday. "I had a shoulder operation this summer and he was in touch with me before and afterwards. I would have been disappointed had I not been in the squad, but I had tried not to get my hopes up too much because in the past that has generally led to bad news."

Bath have appointed Dave Guyan as team manager. The former Saracens manager succeeds Martin Haag, who has joined the RFU as a national academy coach.