WEDNESDAY, 12.30PM:
CLIVE WOODWARD, coach of the English rugby side that arrived in South Africa on Monday for a one-off Test against the Springboks at Newlands on Saturday, has lashed out at “the thickheads” who organised the ill-fated English tour of the Southern Hemisphere.
Woodward said his team will have time for only two training sessions before taking on the Boks, who last Saturday thrashed Wales 96-13. Woodward criticised the touring schedule, which saw the below-strength English take on Australia and New Zealand in three Tests on three successive Saturdays before taking on the South Africans this Saturday.
Woodward said the unavailability of Test regulars is also a problem, making it difficult for the country to guarantee true Test-quality opposition.
“What I keep telling these thickheads who organise tours is that we don’t control the players, which means they can’t go around organising fixtures, telling people we will be sending full-strength teams, when we don’t have the players.”
Woodward also blasted the schedule, saying: “Any group of people who organise Test matches on successive weeks where you have to travel halfway around the world clearly don’t have to play in the game.”
Woodward also said that if the schedule had been in his hands he would have played only New Zealand, and not toured Australia and South Africa. “That would have been feasible and good for English rugby,” he said.
Meanwhile, the South Africans are apprehensive about playing England at Newlands if the Cape weather turns nasty. The weather in winter can swing quickly, and if it rains, Newlands can turn into a quagmire very early in the match.
The English will be less badly affected by the heavy going underfoot, and will use their knowledge of these conditions to slow the match up, counteracting the tactics of the Springboks.
Springbok technical adviser Jake White said the team is hoping for fine weather on Saturday, so that they can play a fast running game, getting the ball out to the wings quickly.
The Springbok team for the match will remain unchanged, with Henry Honiball playing at flyhalf in the place of Franco Smith who failed a fitness test on Wednesday. Gaffie du Toit’s rib injury means that Gauteng Falcons flyhalf Braam van Straaten will take the bench.
Likely Team: Percy Montgomery, Stefan Terblanche, Andre Snyman, Pieter Muller, Pieter Rossouw, Henry Honiball, Joost van der Westhuizen, Andre Venter, Rassie Erasmus, Mark Andrews, Krynau Otto, Adrian Garvey, James Dalton, Robbie Kempson.
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