Farrell won't join Boks tour

Andy Farrell will not return to the England set-up in South Africa after head coach Stuart Lancaster insisted he had not been in contact with his former assistant before his resignation from Saracens. Saracens announced on Friday that Farrell, who was part of Lancaster's coaching team during this season's RBS 6 Nations Championship, had stepped down from his head coach role. That sparked speculation he would link up again with Lancaster, who had hoped to retain his services when he was given the national team job permanently. That did not materialise and Mike Catt was recruited in time for the series against the Springboks. Lancaster said while no changes will be made to the current arrangements for the trip, he would be keen on bringing his former assistant back on board, adding: "If he's available, I'll definitely be interested." "He's made his decision (with Saracens) but I've not been party to that, I've been out here," he said on Sky Sports News. "I guess it will all unfold over the course of the next few weeks and when I get back I'll have a chance to find out exactly what the situation is. He's a coach I get on well with, he added value to the coaching team." Lancaster stressed that he had always planned to review his coaching set-up following the tour to South Africa and is open to the idea of adding extra personnel to his backroom staff. For the time being, however, the status quo remains the same, with Catt and forwards specialist Graham Rowntree providing support for Lancaster. "I just want to categorically confirm that he (Farrell) won't be joining the coaching team out here in South Africa," Lancaster said. "I said at the outset when Mike was appointed that I was going to look at the coaching team at the end of the tour and that situation remains the same. I've not spoken to Andy about the coaching position since before I got the job as permanent head coach." Regarding the possibility of increasing the three-man coaching team to four, Lancaster added: "Andy is clearly someone who did a great job during the Six Nations and who I rate highly, but I'm not sure when he will be available."