Ashton left to sweat as Johnno moves in

Instead, the kingmakers on the RFU gave their full approval to plans for Martin Johnson's installation as England's new supremo and the appointment of a new 'specialist coach', a move which raises the prospect of the new regime attempting to recapture Shaun Edwards from his part-time role with Wales.

The Twickenham meeting served only to increase the uncertainty over Ashton's future as head coach despite the RFU management board 'congratulating' England on their highest Six Nations finish for five years.

They have instructed their director of elite rugby, Rob Andrew, to finalise negotiations with Johnson and assemble what will be a largely new management- coaching hierarchy within the next four weeks.

Club England, the RFU sub-committee chaired by former England captain John Spencer, will be involved in the selection process of the new Johnson-led command structure. Ashton, who met Andrew last week, now has to wait for others to determine his fate.

The RFU's statement issued last night did nothing to remove fears that his days are numbered.

It read: 'The management board accepted Rob Andrew's interim report and was unanimous in authorising him to continue the discussions currently under way to strengthen the England team structure through the recruitment of a team manager and an additional specialist coach.

'Recommendations of these appointments will be made to a Club England meeting in early April who will then make final recommendations to the RFU management board which will convene, as necessary, an additional meeting ahead of the scheduled one on April 30 to consider these recommendations.'

The only crumb of comfort Ashton will have found in the RFU statement referred to his team's second place in the Six Nations, their best finish since 2003.

'The management board congratulates the England senior team in finishing second in the RBS championship, a significant improvement on previous years,' the statement read.

'The board also congratulates the England Saxons on their unbeaten results and the England Under 20 team on achieving the Grand Slam.'

Reassurances of unanimous backing from the RFU will encourage Johnson to believe that what he has been offered is the right job at the right time with carte blanche to choose his own coterie of specialists.

His imminent return to the Test arena won unqualified backing yesterday from one of the Premiership's leading English coaches, Dean Ryan of Gloucester.

He said: 'Someone of Martin Johnson's stature has to be very positive for English rugby and there will be wholesale support for him from everyone involved in the game.

'I don't think there is anyone more capable of uniting forces within the game.

'There are only one or two Martin Johnsons across the world. We are fortunate he is in a position where it appears he wants to get involved.

'In a high-pressure environment like international rugby, it is fundamental to be working with people you know and trust.

'He doesn't have a magic wand so it will be about who he picks to work with him and how he unites that group.'

Ryan, whose Gloucester team are on course for a second successive Premiership Grand Final after losing last year's to Leicester, will not allow any national matters to distract him from his avowed aim of building the Kingsholm club into one of the most formidable in Europe.

At 41, the ex-Test No 8 believes he has yet to complete his apprenticeship for the England job.

'It's flattering to be considered but I want to stay here at Gloucester and see the club develop,' he said.

'My aspirations are to be successful here. If international rugby is the pinnacle of pressure, then there are things I need to learn about myself in that sort of environment.'