BATH head coach Mike Ford has ruled himself out of returning to the England national set-up as the inquest into the host nation's Rugby World Cup failure continues.

Writing in the Telegraph, Ford, who worked as defence coach under Martin Johnson at the 2011 tournament, insists his future lies at the Rec where he wants to create a ''legacy.''

Ford wrote: "I see that I have been mentioned in the bookies’ possible runners and riders in the betting were there to be a head coach vacancy with England.

"First and foremost, there is no vacancy and we should all respect Stuart Lancaster’s position.

"I have just signed a four-year contract with Bath Rugby and my only intention is to help them realise their full potential and achieve what I believe we can achieve.

"Why would I want to leave somewhere like this, working with our fantastic owner Bruce Craig, where it is joy to come into training each and every day, where the players and management are so enthusiastic about getting better and where they, too, want to take the club?

"We haven’t won anything here, I understand that, but that remains our goal and I want to be at the heart of that journey along with my fellow coaches.

"We are setting out to play what has become known as the Bath Way again this season at the club even though we lost out to Saracens in the Premiership final in May. That is what the fans and the club want. That is where my commitment lies. I want to leave a legacy at Bath Rugby. This is the best place for me.''

Ford insists the RFU must act quickly in deciding whether to retain England coach Stuart Lancaster and his coaching team in the wake of the World Cup exit.

He added: "A lot of people seem to forget that I was involved with the 2011 Rugby World Cup campaign in New Zealand as defence coach. And we all know how that tournament was perceived.

"I see that Mark Cueto was even talking about it at the weekend, how hurt he still feels that it was portrayed in a certain light as if there had been no good in it whatsoever. The hurt just won’t go away.

"After that, World Cup the Rugby Football Union did its review, which painstakingly lasted three months. It cannot last that long this time.

"Whatever the RFU decides to do following Saturday night’s turn of events, it must do it quickly. Retain Stuart or have a change. Keep people or move people on. There are all sorts of options. Just do it.

"If there is one thing I would not do it is to have a huge inquest into it all, a review of this, that and the other. If your procedures are good in the first place, that monitoring will have be going on all the time between Stuart and the chief executive officer, Ian Ritchie.

"The RFU should know now what has been going on and what they think about it. It is the same for the coaches and players. If the environment is right then the coaches should also know how the players feel.

For example, we have an open-door policy at Bath Rugby and everything is reviewed all the time.

"There is a player leadership group and our captain, Stuart Hooper, will let me know what the mood is, if there are any gripes. If something is not right, they tell me to my face, not write it down weeks or months later as an anonymous correspondent.

"In 2011, player feedback was leaked, the cause of so much grief. At the time it was not a fair or pleasant experience for the coaches, their families or the players. Whatever happens from here on in has to happen swiftly for the sake of everyone.

"The players will be back at their clubs next week preparing for Aviva Premiership action. We have got 12 players away at the World Cup with various teams. I have spoken to all my England players and will treat each of them individually as to when they play for the club.

"They will want to get back out there, but we have to ensure that they are not mentally/physically fatigued or emotionally scarred.

"My only real view on the way in which England lost is that they seemed to change tack. Of course, George [Ford] was involved in that, dropping to the bench against Wales and then Australia but, leaving aside my connections, I did genuinely think that the switch of styles seemed to affect the way England performed after it had all gone so well in the Six Nations Championship and looked solid enough during the warm-up games.

"Whether that was the pressure of a home World Cup or not, who knows?

"One thing I have learnt as a coach over the years is to stick with your philosophy – at Bath Rugby it is an attacking philosophy that the whole club has bought into from the owner, to the management, to players, to the office staff and to the fans.

"Don’t waiver from your belief, especially when pressure comes from external noises. Stay true, 100  per cent.''