Stuart Lancaster has said that he has not been affected by speculation surrounding his future as England head coach.

The former Saxons boss was appointed interim coach in the wake of Martin Johnson's resignation last year, and has since become a frontrunner for the job on a permanent basis.

"I've tended to focus all my energy this week on getting ready for the game really, so I've not put not much thought into the next steps or what the future may hold," Lancaster said.

"The job is so consuming in terms of the number of things you are having to deal with on a daily basis, it tends to focus your attention on that."

England have a mathematical chance of taking the Six Nations championship this year if they can beat Ireland with a healthy points difference and Wales lose heavily to France.