Jonah Lomu's manager has dismissed speculation that the All Blacks winger is going to Britain to talk to Saracens about his future after the World Cup.

Phil Kingsley-Jones said newspaper reports were "a media beat-up" and added that no rugby meetings were planned for the pair's stay in Britain over November and December.

Lomu's four-week trip is to fulfil charity commitments arranged to coincide with the cancelled testimonial match for former England skipper Will Carling.

Lomu will also appear on television talk shows and will do some after-dinner speaking.

Kingsley-Jones said the connection with Saracens was that the club's technical director, Mark Evans, was to have been coach of Carling's team.

Kingsley-Jones said Lomu's focus was on making the All Blacks squad next year and on the Super 12.

He said he had to look at Lomu's future beyond next year's World Cup, when the winger's contract with the New Zealand Rugby Football Union expires.

Saracens refused to deny the reports that Lomu would hold talks with the club next month. Owner Nigel Wray said: "Lomu is a wonderful name in world rugby. We will look abroad but we also want to bring players through our own system, which is more economic."

London Irish director of rugby Dick Best has predictably kept faith with the team that pipped Leicester 24-23 at Sunbury on Tuesday night for the English Premiership match today against Northampton.

Northampton have made two changes from the team that beat Bedford last Saturday. Wing Ben Cohen replaces Jon Sleightholme and lock Richard Metcalfe returns from injury to take over from Andy Newman.

The Irish squad will have four sessions next week, all of which will be open to the public, with schoolchildren particularly welcome. There will be two sessions, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., on Monday at the Garda rugby club in Westmanstown, Clonsilla, with further sessions at the King's Hospital School, Palmerstown on Tuesday and Wednesday, both from 10 a.m. until about noon.