England Will Turn to White If Johnson Refuses Role

Rob Andrew will sit down with Martin Johnson on Monday and ask the World Cup-winning captain to write his own job description as England manager. If Johnson then does not accept the role, England will turn to Jake White.

It became clear yesterday that Wednesday's six-hour meeting of the RFU management board effectively gave Johnson carte blanche to do whatever he considers necessary to make England successful again - the most powerful remit since Clive Woodward loosened Twickenham's purse strings on his way to creating the 2003 world champions.

The board believes it has given Andrew, its elite director of rugby, permission to produce a package that will tempt Johnson, but it has left the White option in place should personal circumstances mean Johnson has to reject the offer.

At about the same time in June that England will be on their tour of New Zealand, Johnson's wife, Kay, is due to give birth to their second child. It has been a difficult pregnancy, as was the first, and if Johnson rejects England to stay with his wife then Andrew will ask White to step in as head coach.

White, ousted after winning the World Cup with South Africa last October, has long hankered after the England job and was undiplomatic enough to speak of his interest during the tournament, when he also said he would not seek to renew his contract with the Springboks. In the event, his board acted first. Since then he has ruled out applying for the vacant post of Ireland's head coach, saying it was England or nothing.

Either way there appears to be no place in a future England setup for Brian Ashton, who is said to be "sanguine" and "bemused" by events since his side came second in the Six Nations. On Wednesday night the management board belatedly got round to congratulating England for their best performance since 2003, but did not mention the head coach by name.

According to Simon Halliday, a long-time friend and until the end of the season a member of Club England, the grouping of great and good that theoretically vets proposed England appointments before they are ratified by the management board, Ashton might still consider working under Johnson, if the former captain is appointed. "Brian is pretty pragmatic," said the former England center, recently appointed non-executive director at Bath. "He just wants to get his tracksuit on and coach rugby teams because that is what he is good at. Despite everything I think he would make himself available."