Johnson agrees to take charge of England

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The 38-year-old former captain is understood to be in the process of finalising a seven-year contract through to the 2015 World Cup.

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Johnson will attempt to lead England back to the top of the world

His agreement to end a four-and-a-half year absence from the international game follows a fortnight of discussions with RFU director of elite rugby Rob Andrew over the job description.

It will guarantee Johnson the right to pick the team and choose his coaches, making him the single most powerful figure in running the national team since Sir Clive Woodward.

Brian Ashton's future as head coach will depend on whether Johnson sees a role for him under a brand new chain of management command.

Now that he has agreed to do the job, his appointment will be a mere formality.

It will be approved next week by the RFU's Club England sub-committee and then put before a hastily convened meeting of the management board for final ratification.

Johnson's return will be formally announced in ample time for the new supremo to assemble his team of specialists and start picking the squad for the June Tests against the All Blacks in New Zealand.

The question of who the new supremo reports to within the RFU hierarchy remains unclear, whether it is Andrew or Francis Baron, the chief executive with whom Johnson clashed during a pay dispute which forced the England squad to go on a lightning strike in November 2000.