WILL CARLING yesterday finally confirmed that he will not go to South Africa with the Lions next summer. And he reacted angrily to suggestions from Lions' manager Fran Cotton that he had requested the captaincy of the tourists as a precondition to touring.

"Since World Cup 1995 I have been totally consistent in stating that I would not tour with either England or the Lions ever again," said Carling, who resigned from the England captaincy last March.

"I never intended to go on this tour and I have received no availability card."

"It is insulting to me that suggestions have been made that I asked to be captain. I would never be so presumptuous. You don't go asking to be captain of anything, in rugby."