Saracens to extend Farrell's contract for two more years

'There is not a cat in hell's chance of Andy leaving us,' Sarries chairman Nigel Wray said. 'He's loving it, in good nick and playing well. We've been talking about a new contract, which is basically done and dusted.

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Loyalty bonus: Saracens are delighted with Farrell's contribution

'There's a great deal of loyalty going both ways and that makes it a very amicable relationship. He's still only played about 25 games of rugby union and I do really think the best of Andy Farrell is still to be seen.'

The new deal will supersede the one funded jointly by Sarries and the RFU, when Farrell left Wigan in March 2005. That three-year arrangement ends along with Twickenham's 50 per cent funding next May, when England's World Cup centre will be 33.

He has been playing the game professionally since joining Wigan at 16, a long-service record without comparison now that Jason Robinson has retired.

After his first season with Saracens had been obliterated by a series of freakish mishaps, Farrell offered to play on at Vicarage Road free of charge.

Wray said: 'That is the sort of gesture you would expect from a man of honour. We will certainly not be holding him to that. Andy is an outstanding bloke and we are very pleased to know that a leader of his calibre will be remaining with us.'

A controversial choice during the World Cup, Farrell made a try-scoring contribution to the comeback win over Tonga which put England into the last eight, only for a routine calf injury to eliminate him from the quarter-final against Australia and give Mike Catt the last of his 99 lives.

Warren Gatland began work as Wales' coach yesterday with a blunt warning as to how he intends knocking the national squad into shape before their Six Nations opener against England at Twickenham on February 2.

'I will try to break some of the players physically and mentally and see how tough they are,' he said. 'I work pretty hard on mental toughness. Part of it comes from training and challenging the guys the whole time to see how they react.'

Mental strength is a quality that carried the 44-year-old New Zealander's Wasps team to the championships of England and Europe.

'You only have to look at England at the World Cup to see the importance of that tough mentality,' he said.

'There is a view that Wales are brittle mentally. That's something we are going to keep addressing, to replicate the intensity of Test rugby on the training field.'

Gatland, whose four-year appointment takes him through to the 2011 World Cup, spent Monday meeting back-room staff but has no intention of trying to talk Cardiff flanker Martyn Williams out of the Test retirement which leaves Wales with a large hole on the openside of their back row.

Worcester, without a Premiership win after seven of their 22 matches, welcomed a third All Black to Sixways on Monday. Rico Gear, who scored his last Test try against Australia five months ago, joined Sam Tuitupou and Greg Rawlinson at the West Midlands club.