England's waiting game continues

International news: The final pieces of the England rugby union managerial jigsaw should have fallen into place by now but the waiting game goes on.

While Brian Ashton spoke in purposeful tones at Twickenham yesterday about his visions for the national side into 2008 and beyond, the Rugby Football Union is still searching for a suitable team manager and remains in danger of finishing second to Wales in the race to hire Shaun Edwards.

As of last night Edwards had not received a personal phone call from either Rob Andrew, the RFU's director of elite rugby, or Ashton to discuss the proposed role with England Saxons offered by another RFU official, Kevin Bowring, on Wednesday.

Premiership coaches are currently barred from working simultaneously with the senior England squad; that will change from next July but Edwards may be contracted elsewhere by then.

Ashton, meanwhile, is hoping a manager will be appointed "as soon as possible" following the completion of Andrew's post-World Cup review. The former Bath and England players Simon Halliday and Phil de Glanville have been floated as possibilities but Andrew made it clear yesterday that Ashton, who has signed an "indefinite contract", will be very much the top dog. That effectively diminishes the new role and will make it far less attractive to ambitious younger candidates.

There is a view, though, that Ashton would be better served with a strong-minded number two with few issues about fronting up to the media, who could even slot neatly into the hierarchy just above the specialist coaches, John Wells and Mike Ford - someone just like Edwards.

"This is not the end of the decision-making process, it is just the start," countered Andrew. "We are continuing to look at the senior coaching set-up as to whether Brian wants to make additions."

Does he expect Ashton still to be in charge for the 2011 World Cup? "Absolutely."

Among those no longer required, however, is former team manager Vivienne Brown. Andrew, who again ruled out filling the team manager position himself, also confirmed the contracts of Phil Pask and Richard Wegrzyk, hugely popular members of the physiotherapy staff, had not been renewed, while the video analyst Tony Biscombe has officially retired. Ashton, however, saw no reason to end his partnership with Wells and Ford. "We've only been together for nine months as a coaching team and were part of a group of people who got to a World Cup final. It would seem bizarre at this moment in time to break everything up."

But what about the well-publicised spats during the World Cup in France? Ashton, it seems, is actively seeking more creative tension. "What I don't want is to be surrounded by a team of yes men. I wouldn't want four or five people who look at the game in exactly the same way as I do. It would be very easy to slip into a comfort zone if you did that."

The same questioning ethos will apply on the playing front: "I selected a group of players to do a certain job at the World Cup and they got to the final. But to move forward we have to add bits and pieces to our game. The game is going to move on. We can't just move with it, we've got to try to move ahead of it."

England's 32-man Six Nations squad will be announced on January 9th and Ashton, while recognising there is potentially a golden generation of young players out there, is not getting carried away.

"They could be very good but it's a big step from the Premiership to playing in the full international side. Unfortunately, in my experience, most of them sink without trace in that situation. We've still got some exceptionally good experienced players who still want to play for England. We need to use those players as well."

For Mark Regan, Simon Shaw and Martin Corry, therefore, there is still plenty to play for. "If these players are still good enough to be number one in their position, why wouldn't you pick them?" asked Ashton, who will put England duties ahead of any possible Lions role in 2009.

• Guardian Service