Matt Dawson and Richard Hill are out of England’s side to play South Africa tomorrow.
After a week of misinformation and rumour, coach Clive Woodward finally admitted defeat on the injury front yesterday, though he was masterfully upbeat about it all.
Lewis Moody comes in for for the vetran Hill (hamstring) at flanker, Kyran Bracken for Dawson (knee) at scrum-half. Woodward insisted: ”There’s no need to panic. They’re minor injuries. Both players should be back for the next game.”
Woodward, who has also drafted Joe Worsley and Andy Gomarsall in as replacements, insisted: ”We’re not panicking because of the quality of the players we’ve got coming in.
”Bracken played in June against Australia. It was always a close call between him and Matt. Kyran’s back is fine. He won’t have another spasm.” he said, referring to Bracken’s injury problems, which ruled him out of the Georgia game last week.
”We won’t carry anybody, even if they’re 95% fit.
”We won’t miss Hill at all. We’ve dropped Dallaglio and Back for Moody. I’ve got no qualms about him.
”I want 22 fit players. The players themselves are very honest about it. We didn’t send Martyn Wood back too early. According to the rules of the competition, he couldn’t have played.
”And he really has gone home to play for Bath on Sunday, he’s not done a Lord Lucan!”
Strange though, all this. On Wednesday, Woodward was talking about a great day’s training with all his players fully fit.
Dawson even emerged to say: ”I’m ready to play.” Hill wasn’t a doubt either.
Clearly, Woodward feels the psychological war is such that South Africa will be bamboozled by such late changes.
Woodward swept the injuries aside and explained the more com ical disruptions to his team’s plans for the biggest game of the World Cup so far.
At the morning training session, rumours that Prince Harry was in attendance swept the parochial town of Perth. There were cameras on the pavement outside England’s training at Hale School and a helicopter flew overhead as England went through their final paces.
Woodward laughed: ”I’ve got great respect for Prince Harry, but I don’t generally invite members of the royal family to our final pre-match training sessions.”
Responding to Aussie coach Eddie Jones’s allegations that England’s rolling mauls are illegal, Woodward said: ”We can’t call the Aussies whingers. They get upset. But the Georgians defended well against it. Neil Back is very good in those situations. He has to bind with one hand because he carries the ball in the other.
”The games are not won in the newspapers. We all just smile at what’s written. Even the Canadian coach had a go this week.
”We’re not distracted at all. We laugh at it.
”We fully expect people to have a go at us. But what we do is legal in the maul. The referees are happy with what we do, that’s why they enjoy reffing England.
”I don’t think the referee Peter Marshall will come under pressure. I spoke to him yesterday. He knows the rules of the game, unlike many rugby journalists. That was a joke.”
Cue nervous laughter.
”It’s a massive game. We’re relaxed here but we weren’t relaxed at training this morning.
”It should be a great contest.”
When it was suggested this was South Africa’s biggest game while England are focussing on the bigger picture, Woodward said: ”I totally disagree. Our strength is playing one game at a time.
”I wasn’t surprised by the South African selection. I’m not responsible for picking their team. They’ve got 15 outstanding players.
”We’re all looking forward to it.”
Asked if Prince Harry’s possible presence would boost England (by a spectacularly attractive female Aussie TV journalist), Woodward grinned: ”Every fan makes a difference. I hope the Barmy Army gets behind us.
”I want all the local English fans to get down there and cheer this team, it’s a good team.”
Even without the experience of Hill and Dawson, it appears.