Former president Nelson Mandela phoned to Australia on Friday to congratulate embattled SA rugby president Silas Nkanunu on his election in Sydney this week to the prestigious vice-chairmanship of the International Rugby Board.

England coach Clive Woodward laughed off calls from an Australian newspaper to create bedlam at his team’s hotel in Sydney on Friday ahead of Saturday’s World Cup final. The tabloid Daily Telegraph called on Australian fans to converge on England’s hotel with ”bugles and drums” to disrupt the team’s sleep.

Six-time world champion Michael Schumacher insisted on Thursday that his recent knee injury will not hamper his assault on an unprecedented seventh title in 2004. He hurt his knee playing football near his home in Switzerland and he had to cancel a training session with English soccer giants Manchester United.

One of the key clashes of the Rugby World Cup final will be barely visible. The Australian and English front rows do most of their work in the depths of scrums, rucks and mauls. But their foraging and driving will set up the platform needed for both sides’ backlines to fire on Saturday.

Like other permanent members French President Jacques Chirac has been at best ambivalent about increasing this status for African, Latin American and Asian countries. This week, though, Chirac said ”it is clear that in one way or another, Africa must be better represented on the Security Council, among the permanent and non-permanent members.”

Jo’burg mayor Amos Masondo is a key member of the ANC’s election brain trust. He spoke to Jaspreet Kindra.