Thursday 16 October 2014 10:54, UK
Mike Ford has said that Toulon flanker Steffon Armitage will not be making a return to England with Bath.
Armitage only signed a three-year contract extension with Toulon in late 2013, however Toulon owner Mourad Boudjellal has said the club will not stand in Armitage’s way as a move back to England would put him back into contention for England’s World Cup squad.
Reports in the English press stated that a Bath transfer would be finalised in a matter of hours, however head coach Ford told Sky Sports News HQ that the deal would not be happening.
We have tried out best and he would have been a fanatic signing for me. He is a fantastic player and he would have fitted in with the style of rugby we play.
"We have not signed him, we have tried to as we have got the ability through our injury dispensation that if a player gets injured we can go and replace him like for like," said Ford on SSN HQ.
"Our backrow at the moment is depleted so we have been looking around for a while for players. Our owner thought of Steffon and thought of England as well.
“I am not sure what the stumbling block was, enviably it is about finances and we have just not been able to cross the line. It is unfortunate; we were so close to signing a great player who could have helped club and country.
“We have tried out best and he would have been a fantastic signing for me. He is a fantastic player and he would have fitted in with the style of rugby we play and it would have been good for England as well.
“At this moment in time it looks like he [ Armitage] will play for Toulon against the Scarlets in the European Rugby Champions Cup, if that happens then he won’t be able to play for us in Europe and I would be stupid to sign him.”
The reigning European Player of the Year has been outstanding for French champions Toulon since joining them from London Irish, and there has been a clamour in the media for England boss Stuart Lancaster to recall him, however Lancaster refuses to pick players based abroad for his England squad.
Armitage has explored the possibility of playing for France in the 2015 World Cup by using the Olympic Sevens loophole to make himself eligible for Les Bleus, however that loophole seems to have been shut.
