Rob Andrew, the kingmaker of Twickenham, reminded the rugby public yesterday that Brian Ashton had been handed a “hospital pass” when he took over the job of England head coach. The question now is how much farther he will be allowed to run with the ball.

Ashton’s contract ends in December and, when asked several times about it yesterday, Andrew, the director of elite rugby, was meticulous in refraining from giving Ashton the vote of confidence that many would feel England’s second-place finish had merited.

Andrew did lavish praise on the achievements of Ashton and his men over the past seven weeks, but on the subject of the future, he said: “We’ve been talking all through the tournament. There are a lot of issues that we will deal with over the next few weeks. We will review the World Cup correctly and properly and move forward. I think Brian’s very comfortable with that.”

Indeed, Ashton confirmed that he was. He added that in four years he is to turn 65, which, he said, was “a pretty good retirement age”. Clearly he would like to stay until the next World Cup. “I enjoy doing the job,” he said. “I thoroughly enjoy it.”

While it would seem highly likely that Ashton will have his contract extended, it also seems probable that there will be some reshaping of the coaching and management structure. If Andrew’s review takes in the views of the players – which surely it must – he will find opinion split. He will find a deep-seated regard and affection for Ashton and a respect for his skills as a coach, but by no means will he find uniform backing of Ashton as England’s front man.

The same view was elicited by a senior Twickenham source, who suggested that Ashton was interested in some form of restructuring. “Brian wants help,” he said. “He’s made that clear. What we have with Brian is a mirror image of the problems we had with Andy Robinson [the previous head coach]; poor selection record, poor management skills and poor communication. Both are essentially No 2s. Brian is patently not a leader or strong enough individual. If we are honest and realistic, we got to the final by default and because of injuries which left us stumbling across a team, and because players sorted things out themselves.”

The debate that has been surrounding the team since the turnaround of their fortunes is: did Ashton achieve it or was it the players? Phil Vickery added to the divided opinion on the subject.

“Brian’s influence on the side has been huge,” the England captain said, but added: “I’m sure there will be changes. We all need to change, in any walk of life, and I’m sure Rob is the right man to make those decisions. If it’s for the success of England, I think we all support that.”

Andrew’s review is set to be completed by the end of next month. His conclusions may rest upon the need to appoint a senior management figure, which, incidentally, is what Robinson had requested when he was England head coach.

Of one thing we can be sure: this World Cup may have raised deep-seated questions about England rugby union, but simultaneously it has delivered some firm answers. From the ashes of the 36-0 defeat by South Africa in the pool stages, there has arisen a backline of the future. We knew Mathew Tait as a man of acknowledged potential; on Saturday night, we saw evidence of fulfilment.

Toby Flood and Dan Hipkiss are also players whose youth and relative inexperience remained irrelevant throughout the knockout stages.

“It’s my first taste and not quite achieving kind of makes you more hungry,” Hipkiss said after the game.

And Flood: “It’s a huge building block and a place from where we can launch the next two years of England. There are some young guys here who are ten caps down the line now and starting to feel quite comfortable in international rugby. That is a nice place to be.”

An equally positive view of the future came from Eddie Jones, South Africa’s wily tactical analyst. “If I was Rob Andrew,” he said, “I’d go straight up to Newcastle and tell them to play Mathew Tait at 15 for the next four years.” Jones also mentioned Ryan Lamb, the 21-year-old Gloucester playmaker, and concluded: “England can certainly put together a very nice backline.”

So, with numerous contenders for the No 10 shirt (Jonny Wilkinson, Olly Barkley, Lamb), throw in Flood and Hipkiss in the centres and a back three of Paul Sackey, David Strettle and Tait and you may have the shape of England’s future three-quarter line.

England also have a pair of props as a foundation around which a future scrum can be built. Andrew Sheridan and Matt Stevens have risen to new heights in recent weeks.

Small wonder, then, that Ashton yesterday gave a nod to the wealth of young talent coming through. Small wonder, too, that he would like to be the man who coaches them.