Farrell: Wanted by Lancaster

Stuart Lancaster was confirmed as England's new permanent head coach yesterday and he is clearly keen to keep together the coaching team - which included Farrell and forwards coach Graham Rowntree - which served him so well during his interim reign in the recently concluded RBS 6 Nations.

The appointment of Rowntree, who is already on the RFU payroll, is not expected to pose any problems, but prising former rugby league star Farrell away from Saracens may be a trickier proposition, with their chief executive Edward Griffiths insistent that they do not want to lose him.

Griffiths told BBC Radio Five Live: "The RFU asked if they could loan Andy Farrell for the Six Nations, which we did in the national interest.

"They made it very clear that it was just for the Six Nations. He is contracted to us for another two years and he is a massive part of what we're planning here as a club, and that's really the situation.

"We will doubtless talk to the RFU shortly and hear what they have got to say, but from a Saracens perspective Andy is a big part of our club and a big part of our future."