The Rugby Football Union have not held talks with Andy Farrell over replacing England manager Steve Borthwick, says chief executive Bill Sweeney.
Borthwick’s role came under serious scrutiny after England recorded their worst-ever Six Nations finish this year, winning just one of their five games and losing four matches in a row for the first time.
But Sweeney has suggested that the coach will remain in his post for this summer’s tour, which will involve Tests against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina.
That may be his final opportunity to right the ship ahead of next summer’s World Cup, though, after which his contract expires.
Ireland and Lions boss Farrell has been tipped as a first-choice replacement should the RFU dispense with Borthwick, though he too remains under contract until Australia 2027.
Sweeney said of Farrell: “He’s under contract to the 2027 World Cup. We’re not in a dialogue. We’re not in a discussion with him at the present.”
The RFU are presently in the midst of an inquest into England’s dismal Six Nations, which is expected to be completed by the end of April. An anonymous panel is conducting the review and will also consider testimony from Borthwick and his coaching staff.
England’s defeat of Wales in their tournament opener was their twelfth consecutive Test victory, a fact which has left Sweeney inclined to give Borthwick time to get his side back on song.
He said: "There is a lot of noise out there. You've got to take emotion out of the equation. You just look at it purely in terms of: What was the performance? What were the issues? Why did they arise? And how do we fix them?
"I see the outcome being for us to make sure we have got the right support mechanisms in place to address them and support Steve to get that right going forward.
"We are really focussed on seeing progress again and seeing better and more consistent performances. That is the focus - it's not a set number of wins or a percentage.
"It's about getting back to the way we were playing. Steve talks about playing big. That has been the intention and you saw that against France.
"We still think this is an extremely strong squad that has got the potential and capability to do some really good things."
