England's Rugby Football Union has not entered talks with Ireland coach Andy Farrell "at present", chief executive Bill Sweeney said on Friday.

Farrell would appear an obvious candidate to lead the England team if they choose to part ways with Steve Borthwick.

The current England boss is under pressure following a disappointing Six Nations campaign that saw them finish in fifth place with only a single win.

Borthwick's contract expires after next year's World Cup, with Farrell's Ireland deal up at the same time.

For Borthwick to make it that far, there will likely have to be an upturn in results during England's July internationals, but Farrell's contract situation means he is not an immediate alternative option.

"He's under contract for the 2027 World Cup," Sweeney said of Farrell. "We're not in a dialogue. We're not in a discussion with him at present."

Borthwick was at least able to rouse a courageous performance from his players in England's final Six Nations match against France, even if a narrow 48-46 defeat denied Farrell's Ireland the title.

It ends in defeat in France #FRAvENG | #GuinnessM6N pic.twitter.com/lObt4VN9Fs

— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) March 14, 2026

For Borthwick to lead England into the World Cup in Australia, Sweeney and the RFU want to see more of the same.

"There is a lot of noise out there [about Borthwick]," Sweeney added.

"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?

"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."