Autumn internationals 2010

Wales centre Jamie Roberts will miss his country's November internationals after being told he needs surgery to cure a wrist injury.

Cardiff Blues star Roberts will have the operation to cure a long-standing problem which first flared up on the British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa in 2009.

The 23-year-old, who has 24 caps, is expected to be sidelined for the first half of the season, meaning he will miss the clashes with Australia, South Africa, Fiji and New Zealand in Cardiff in November.

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"I injured my wrist during the second Test in South Africa last summer," said Roberts, who should return in time for the Six Nations tournament early next year.

"It wasn't until the surgeon had a look with a camera into the joint at the end of the season that the full extent of the injury was diagnosed.

"I played all of last season with a lot of pain in my wrist and so it is logical to get it sorted as soon as possible.

"It's pretty disappointing to be missing more or less the first half of the season, but I'll use the time to rid my body of any niggles.

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The All Blacks have made four changes to their starting line-up to play South Africa in Auckland on Saturday as they chase a winning start to their Tri-Nations campaign.

Prop Owen Franks returns to the run-on side named Tuesday in the place of Neemia Tialata after being among the reserves in the 22-10 second Test victory against Wales on June 26.

Veteran winger Joe Rokocoko returns to the backline ahead of the dropped Zac Guildford, along with the centre pairing of Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith, who have both recovered from injuries.

Nonu replaces Benson Stanley, while Smith takes over from Richard Kahui, who drops back to the reserves bench.


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Coach Graham Henry knows the opening Test will be vital as the All Blacks attempt to wrest the title back from South Africa, who won all three Tri-Nations Tests against their great rivals last year.

"The Springboks are the defending Tri-Nations champions and like us will be keen to kick off their campaign on a winning note," Henry said.

"However, our squad has prepared well and the players are excited by the first up challenge this weekend. It's going to be a massive kick-off to the competition."

On the All Blacks bench, hooker Corey Flynn and loose forward Liam Messam return for the first time this year alongside prop Ben Franks and lock Sam Whitelock.

Halfback Piri Weepu and flyhalf Aaron Cruden join Kahui in providing cover for the backline.

South African coach Pieter de Villiers delayed naming his team from Tuesday to Thursday because of fitness worries over locks Bakkies Botha and Danie Rossouw.

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Former England captain Steve Borthwick is expected to be the notable omission from Martin Johnson's elite squad when it is announced on Thursday afternoon.

Borthwick, 30, was Johnson's first choice as captain and he led England for 20 consecutive Tests over two years before being sidelined by a knee injury.

The Saracens lock missed England's final RBS 6 Nations game against France and the summer tour to Australia and New Zealand, with Lewis Moody successfully taking over as captain.

Moody became only the second man in history, after Johnson himself in 2003, to captain England to a Test win over the Wallabies in Australia.

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Borthwick has not only lost the captaincy but now appears to have paid the ultimate price by slipping out of England's senior squad at the start of a vital World Cup season.

Gloucester's uncapped lock Dave Attwood is line for a promotion as one of four locks in the 32-man party after impressing Johnson with his performances for England's midweek team on tour.

Tom Palmer and Courtney Lawes, who made an eye-catching full debut as England drew the series with the 21-20 victory in Sydney, are certainties while veteran Simon Shaw is set to retain his place.

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England used 46 players during their five-match tour and Johnson left New Zealand at the end of last week with a few other tough decisions to make.

It is conceivable that hooker Lee Mears and wing Ugo Monye, both of whom were British and Irish Lions Test players last summer, could also miss out on selection.

Mears has dropped behind George Chuter in the pecking order while Steve Thompson and Dylan Hartley are set to fill the other two hooking berths. Monye is more likely to get the nod but he is competing with Matt Banahan and David Strettle for two wing places. Mark Cueto and Chris Ashton are guaranteed selections.

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Anyone seeking answers as to how England's international fortunes can improve would be advised to take a look at events unfolding in Sydney this morning.


It is no secret. The fabled three-match State of Origin series between New South Wales and Queensland, pitching Australia's finest players against each other, gets underway again for a high-octane contest many believe holds greater intensity than any Test match.

It is the brutal arena which makes or breaks players, testing not only their skills but resolve, character and mentality.

Ultimately, it helps moulds them for the Australia jersey; if they can survive the pressure of Origin, they can thrive at the highest level.

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It begs the question why the English game has no similar alternative to offer its potential stars a crucial stepping stone, an imposing fixture which could help sculpt them into superior performers.

Incoming England coach Steve McNamara admits it is something he wants to explore as he searches for the missing ingredient as his players step up to face Australia and New Zealand.

The traditional War of the Roses clash between Yorkshire and Lancashire ended in 1989 after nearly a century of action.

They briefly re-started during the Super League era in 2001 but it disappeared again just two seasons later following a lukewarm response from clubs.

New South Wales selectors, preparing to face a Queensland side boasting such stellar performers as Darren Lockyer, Greg Inglis, Jonathan Thurston and Billy Slater, can afford to leave out Paul Gallen who was part of the Australia side that defeated the Kiwis a fortnight ago as well as last year's Four Nations internationals Robbie Farah, Nathan Hindmarsh, Michael Jennings and Josh Morris.

The English game simply does not have that depth of talent. The other possibility though is England tackling a squad made up of the best overseas imports currently playing in Super League.

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It is an idea backed by a number of Origin veterans who know the value of representative football.

"It's perfect prep for international footy and probably better in terms of intensity."

Menzies offered an insight into the camaraderie such camps create adding: "You're training every day but it's probably 40 per cent game plan and the other 60 is just wanting to play with your mates.

"The atmosphere is brilliant when it arrives. I never forget before a game at Lang Park up in Brisbane and we'd drive past the Caxton pub. All these Queenslanders would be there throwing tomatoes and beer cans hitting our windows. We could get in another way but the management purposely did it to rev the boys up.

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England see a good deal of value in these annual "hit-outs" against the world's most celebrated invitation team, coming as they do before testing end-of-season visits to the southern hemisphere. Unfortunately for this Australia-bound party, the latest Barbarian combination were all "out" and no "hit" for much of the proceedings at Twickenham yesterday evening. Not only did they miss tackles the average rugby-playing infant might have expected to make, they also showed a distinct lack of interest in trying to make them in the first place.

Between them, the uncapped South African lock Ross Skeate and the similarly undecorated Australian full-back Paul Warwick did everything in their power to present Martin Johnson's side with cheap points, as did two colleagues who know what it is to play Test rugby and should therefore have made a better fist of it: the French centre Florian Fritz (18 international appearances) and the World Cup-winning Leicester second-rower Ben Kay. By the time they had floundered around like four fillets of wet halibut, the soon-to-be tourists were 20 points up and out of sight.

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But they faded, along with everyone else. Amid half-hearted Mexican waves and desultory choruses of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot", England proceeded to construct a sow's ear from a silk purse, conceding possession, territory and tries in the most alarming of manners. David Smith, an unusually strong wing from New Zealand, and Census Johnston, a ridiculously strong prop from Samoa, both crossed, transforming a 32-7 deficit into something much more intriguing.

When Sackey took advantage of some high-class work from Cedric Heymans to bag his second try late on, England found themselves praying for close of play. They were a sorry sight: disorganised, lumpen and depressingly short of ideas, they looked increasingly helpless against a ragbag a collection of demob-happy bar-room carousers. The final whistle saved them, which just about said it all.

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Leeds will be without their Samoan prop Kylie Leuluai for Sunday's Super League game at Warrington after he became the latest victim of a tackling technique that the Rhinos coach Brian McClennan describes as a growing concern.

Leuluai suffered ankle damage that could rule him out for several weeks as a result of the impact of a third defender going low during the champions' surprise home defeat by the Crusaders last Sunday.

"My understanding is that more and more players are getting injured by this tackle, down under as well," said McClennan, who claimed that the Rhinos forwards Jamie Peacock and Carl Ablett have also been victims this season.

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"It's a difficult one," the former New Zealand national coach told the Yorkshire Evening Post. "It's not illegal, but it causes injuries. If the third man comes in from the side, you're all right. If he comes in from the back, and you don't see him, your body goes forward, but your foot gets locked in the ground, it gets hyperextended and that causes injuries. We have had three of those this year and it's frustrating.

"I don't imagine anyone's purposefully gone out to do this, but it is frustrating when it happens to your players. We'll encourage players to tackle around the legs too, but you have to take a bit of care when you come right around the back."

Leeds are also likely to be without their former New Zealand full-back Brent Webb for the trip to Warrington after he suffered an ankle injury in training.

The game at Headingley also took its toll on the Crusaders, who were down to 14 players in training at the start of this week ahead of Sunday's home game against Wakefield Trinity. The Crusaders coach Brian Noble said that Gareth Thomas remains at least a fortnight away from recovery from a groin problem.

The second Hull derby of the season has also been rearranged and will now be played on a Thursday night, 15 July, at the KC Stadium to allow live coverage on Sky. Hull's gifted but fragile 22-year-old three-quarter Craig Hall is thought to be considering a move across the city to Hull KR, who are also close to agreeing a new one-year contract with their ball-playing Australian forward Ben Galea.

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This is getting serious. Under Martin Johnson, England have won just eight times in 19 matches, with only one of those conquests, in Rome, occurring on the road. Notable victories are rare.Johnson's honeymoon period ended some months ago.

This might be his first proper tour with a full-strength England squad, given that his top men were with the Lions in South Africa a year ago, but he has experienced two Six Nations tournaments as well as two full sets of autumn internationals. Autumn Internationals Hospitality Packages with the best prices available at Corporate Hospitality Group. We are covering in Autumn Internationals 2010 Hospitality and Tickets.

When England return home towards the end of June, Johnson will have nine more Tests, plus the odd warm-up match, before the World Cup starts in New Zealand in September 2011.

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The in-tray is piling up. By my reckoning, England are vulnerable in three areas and clueless in another. Only at hooker, across the back three, at scrum-half and outside-half can Johnson legitimately point to strength in depth, to situations where he has a genuine choice between candidates of quality. In that sense, the performances of Danny Care, Charlie Hodgson, Chris Ashton, Ben Foden, Steve Thompson and Mark Cueto are of minor interest today.


Ben Youngs is pushing Care, Dylan Hartley is neck and neck with Thompson, Hodgson is on trial to see whether he can be trusted defensively to sit as third-choice play-maker behind Toby Flood and Jonny Wilkinson, and the intrigue among the back three is to see whether they can kick on from the promising entrance they made as a trio against France. The point here is that if they do not, there are plenty of other options left for Johnson to ponder.

The issues in the back row are different again. Johnson would love somehow to bolt a rugby brain on to the fantastic athlete that is James Haskell and perform the reverse procedure on Nick Easter, but with Lewis Moody, Tom Croft, Steffon Armitage, Joe Worsley and newcomer Hendre Fourie all in the mix, there is too much talent and experience for England to be anything other than highly competitive in this area.

Much to think about then this afternoon. At the end of any other season this Baa Baas fixture would be little more than a mild diversion. But with 15 months to go until the World Cup, and with plenty of questions still to answer, not least whether Johnson and his coaches know what they are doing, the contest is anything but.
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Ignore the logistics for a minute and imagine if the Lions toured the southern hemisphere every year, playing one Test annually against Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Now traditional tours by individual countries are thankfully back on the global agenda. From 2012, the leading countries in Europe will play proper three-Test series against the SANZAR giants, plus Argentina, while also returning to the Pacific Islands and even Japan.

In the case of sporting conflict, familiarity so often breeds tedium, which is exactly why pleas for Lions tours to become more frequent have been rightly ignored. Scarcity is part of the appeal.

England will get the ball rolling with a series in South Africa and it will have the feel of a Lions expedition.

A series also gives time for sub-plots and dramas and conflicts to emerge and evolve.

Reviving proper tours in June may be a nod to nostalgia, but the move is founded on commercial imperatives, too, as crowds and revenues are down for these June matches, which are too often one-sided.

With midweek games thrown in it allows fringe players to stay involved and the whole exercise will hold a greater sense of resonance and purpose.

In Europe, attendances and bank balances are well catered for during the November Test window, but proper series would be an improvement then, too.

On the flip-side, when a true contest materialises, as was the case last summer when France won a Test in Dunedin and New Zealand hit back in Wellington, 1-1 is not a satisfactory conclusion. It was crying out for a decider.

This is where the familiarity argument kicks in. Back in the day, a visit by the All Blacks was a major event, but now that mystique and air of expectation has been somewhat eroded by regularity. They have come to Twickenham during the last four years of autumn internationals.

A real series would carry more weight than the endless round of one-off Tests. England could play the likes of Fiji or Samoa at the start of November, followed by a three-Test series against New Zealand, Australia, South Africa or Argentina.

In the interests of expansion, the RFU could take one match each year to the provinces - to Old Trafford, Villa Park or St James’ Park.

The public don’t moan about repetition during an Ashes series, which comes to these shores once every four years.

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Olly Barkley last night backed Martin Johnson's demand that the England rugby squad behave themselves on tour next month.

Johnson wasted no time yesterday in issuing a stark warning of the "pitfalls" which potentially lie await for them off the field on a five-match mission to Australia and New Zealand.

It will be England's first trip Down Under since the 2008 tour to New Zealand when allegations of serious sexual assault were made against four of the squad.

"In the world we live in there are pitfalls, some can be put there deliberately, some are just the pitfalls that young guys face when they're out and about in big cities

"We'll be together for three and a half weeks in hostile territory, staying in different hotels and city centre locations," he said. "There will be distractions and potential areas to get embroiled in so we'll need to be smart and look after each other.

No formal complaint was made in 2008 against the so-called Auckland Four of Danny Care, David Strettle, Topsy Ojo and Mike Brown, whom NZ police sought to interview over claims made by an 18-year-old woman.

"I don't think they will be targets but this is the world we live in. People have cameras on their phones these days."

But Barkley acknowledges that the whole episode was a wake-up call and that it is vital no-one invites embarrassment onto the tour this time.

Indeed, an RFU inquiry found no evidence of any such incident having taken place - though it did adjudge Ojo and Brown guilty of misconduct for staying out all night.

"The management and the players are confident we will all adhere to that.

"We've put the 2008 issue behind us and there's now a code of conduct in place," said a player who has had his own off-field problems in the past.

The difference between this one and the last is that Johnson will be with it every step of the way. In 2008 he stayed home to await the birth of his second child and in his absence chaos ensued.

"The big thing is if you don't you compromise not only the squad but the individuals involved as well. That's the last thing anyone wants to do to a tour that we're all so positive about."

At Twickenham yesterday he left nobody in any doubt that he will be on top of matters in Perth and in Sydney and across the Tasman Sea in Napier.

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The Rugby Football Union and Team England Rugby have settled a players' payment dispute ahead of the upcoming tour to Australia and New Zealand.

An independent third party was called in to settle the dispute and the RFU and TER have accepted their recommendations ahead of the opening clash against the Barbarians in Perth on June 8.

Martin Johnson's men face two friendlies with Australia Barbarians and two Tests against Australia before making a trip to take on New Zealand Maori in Napier in June, but the tour looked in doubt after the two groups failed to find some common ground over payments for the 44-man squad.

However, the finer details of the players' payments will not be made known to the public.

A basic tour fee of £7,800 was thought to have been offered with an extra £5,000 on offer for every man that made Johnson's squad of 22 for the two Tests against Australia with the other half of his squad receiving no extra incentives.

"Both sides met today with the independent third party appointed to review the situation, and accepted their recommendations.

A joint statement made by the RFU and TER read: "The Rugby Football Union and Team England Rugby are pleased to announce that they have resolved all the outstanding issues over tour payments for the elite player squad for the tour to Australia and New Zealand.

"The details of the final resolution remain confidential and will not be disclosed by either party."

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It is England's football fans who need to keep their nerve not Fabio Capello and his players. From now until England either win or get knocked out of the World Cup there will be little else in the media.

You may have forgotten, or at least tried to, that the coverage will be all-encompassing and that it has a marked effect on the English psyche.

The mass hysteria that is on the way is not one in which people lose all semblance of will; it is more unusual than that. What is created is a compulsion to comment and most of the multitude of comment will be notable only because of its stupidity. Armchair professionals and would-be/could-have-been international sportsmen will opine sagely on any and all facets of English football.

There will be a divided nation; all wanting England to win and approaching each minute piece of news with solemn consideration yet reacting in different ways.

On the one hand you will have the know-all-know-nothings. Pessimists at heart they will become most expert on the topic on which they are least qualified to comment. Indolent lard-arses will criticise players' fitness levels; some with the tactical nous of a radish will berate Capello for his use of one system over another; with the miracle of hindsight many more will tell you they knew it all along.

On the other side of the national divide will be those who approach their support as a faith. As is the way with zealots they will be less entertaining but messianic in their proclamations for "Ingerland". As a mantra they will urge, if not demand that we "get behind the lads" whatever the results or level of performance. They will laud quite ordinary players as "world-clarse" and display wilful ignorance concerning anything that might suggest England are not the best team in the world – oh, and by the way, anyone not in agreement is a traitor.

For players it is impossible to shake out the knowledge that this is not the real deal and though they may say that 100 per cent attention is given, they will have reserved some part of their thoughts for South Africa. There is nothing wrong with this and nothing Capello can do anyway. The only thing you can hope for is that none of the players gets injured.

So for the media and public let's stamp down the surges of passion and keep it for when it really counts because as certain as all the above is, there will be incidents that rightly provoke our indignation.

It is when this clamour is reaching its height that Capello and his squad need to excuse themselves, at least mentally, from the scene. It is very difficult to enforce a ban on accessing the news, given the number of platforms on which it is available and unless a player is very strong-willed widespread criticism will affect him, even if he believes this not to be the case. Praise is not without its possible pitfalls; self-belief is welcome, indeed necessary, but self-importance is too often the reaction to preternatural adulation.

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Francois Pienaar skippered South Africa’s rugby union side to global glory and he reckons the “infectious enthusiasm” of Wayne Rooney and Lionel Messi could give their countries the edge when football’s World Cup takes place in his homeland.

“I think you have to look at the usual suspects and see what effects the likes of Messi or Wayne Rooney can have,” Pienaar said.

For players it is impossible to shake out the knowledge that this is not the real deal and though they may say that 100 per cent attention is given, they will have reserved some part of their thoughts for South Africa. There is nothing wrong with this and nothing Capello can do anyway. The only thing you can hope for is that none of the players gets injured.

“A successful team needs to have players on the pitch who can sense the moment and feed off one another.

“Individuals like Messi and Rooney just sort of inject enthusiasm. They have that can-do mentality and winning spirit and when you have that in your team it is infectious.

“I think that Brazil are looking very good and playing some very sexy football. But who knows? When France won it no one gave them a chance.

“I think that England will be really strong, the Germans are always there. Then there is Spain, Italy, Argentina – if the rest of the team can back up Lionel Messi.”

Pienaar inspired South Africa to World Cup success as they overcame the odds and that is something his compatriots in the Bafana Bafana team will have to repeat just to maintain their interest in the tournament beyond the group stage.

“We were a very good team, not favourites certainly, but it was a very special team and had the knock-out punch which we delivered when it mattered,” Pienaar added.

“Bafana Bafana have not had the build-up to their tournament that we had but if the team gels, trains hard and has resolve and the obsession to detail that I always say you need then they have a shot.

“If Bafana Bafana reaches the knock-out stage, as we all hope they do it will be just like 1995 or 1996 when I went with the whole team to the stadium in Soweto to see South Africa win the Africa Cup of Nations.”

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The SRU have confirmed Scotland will no longer hold three-day tests against South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, at least for the next eight years.

Scotland's absence from New Zealand's tour schedule for the next eight years has been explained as a decision taken by the SRU, contrary to reports. It had been suggested the Scots had been snubbed by the All Blacks, when they unveiled their future plans earlier this week.

National coach Andy Robinson and performance director Graham Lowe no longer favour prolonged tours of New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. Instead, Scotland will travel for one-off matches against the three for the foreseeable future, while also hosting the trio nine times in six years between 2012 and 2018.

France, England, Ireland and Wales are all booked up to play the three, who are collectively known as SANZAR, on tours scheduled until 2018.

“I am very pleased with the tours schedule,” Robinson told the SRU website. “We have a first-rate programme of autumn Tests incoming to Murrayfield, which are important for our rugby development.

“As far as our overseas tours are concerned I do not believe it would be beneficial for us to play a series of three Tests against the individual SANZAR countries at the end of our season.

“What I believe works for us, from a performance perspective, is a mix between SANZAR and Tier 2 unions as that gives us the opportunity to develop players which is part and parcel of touring."

"More than anything I'm just relieved to be playing again, the Wallabies was just more of a bonus if I made it."Lowe, who left the New Zealand Rugby Union to take up his post with the SRU last October, added: “Like Andy, I firmly believe that the schedule, as outlined, will assist with our rugby development and importantly develops solid relationships with some of world rugby's emerging nations.”

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The Western Force back row will feature prominently in the upcoming test arena with Matt Hodgson, David Pocock and Richard Brown all selected in the Wallabies squad announced today.

The trio was a force to be reckoned with in the later part of the Super 14 season following the return of Pocock and Brown from injury, and could carry the responsibility for Australia against the likes of England, New Zealand and South Africa.

The selection of Hodgson is great reward for his stellar 2010 campaign. The versatile forward was a man mountain in the back row and the only player at the club to start and finish every game.

"It's one of your biggest highs playing for Australia and then getting injured and missing out was hard, it sort of drove me this year to put my hand up again and make selection and get that test cap that I want," Hodgson said.

"Robbie gave me a call yesterday morning, so it was good to pick up that unknown number. It is good to get that call early.

"He just sort of congratulated me on such a good performance in the Super 14 at the start of the year, and said just to continue working and keep aiming for that jersey that I want to get."

For Brown and Pocock the recent Super 14 presented challenges in other forms as injuries to both players in round one forced them to watch from the sidelines for half a season.

But true to form the pair returned ready for action and made a telling contribution to a positive second half of the year for the Western Force and are keen to add to their test caps.

"I'm a little relieved to make the squad after only playing half a season so I'm pretty excited," said Brown.

"I was always hopeful but I was just happy to come back in the second half of the season regardless of whether I made the Wallabies.

Other Western Force players selected for Wallabies duties include prop Pek Cowan, lock Nathan Sharpe, the most experienced player selected in the 30-man Australian squad, and full-back James O'Connor, the youngest member of the 2010 class.

With 79 tests to his name already Sharpe will provide the leadership and experience to a young squad, something he has done with distinction throughout his career and again this season at the Force.

"Sharpie doesn't talk a lot about how his performance is but that probably sums the guy up, he's had probably one of his best seasons in his time in Super Rugby and the way he's led us through the year has been instrumental for a lot of blokes," said Hodgson.

"I know it made me keep going at the start of the year when we were up against a brick wall. He's a good bloke and his form has been great this year.

"He is probably the best Captain I've ever had. The way he leads us on the field is the same as off the field. He's got that good combination with all the blokes from the older guys to the younger guys, everyone respects him."

Tough forward Ben McCalman has been acknowledged for his excellent debut Super Rugby season with inclusion in the 10-man Australian Barbarians squad that will train alongside the Wallabies and play two midweek matches against England next month.

Winger Nick Cummins is also part of that squad and will be hoping to impress after picking-up an injury on the opening day of last year's Wallabies training camp.

"I'm really happy for Ben to get his chance I think it's well deserved, especially in his first year, it's just a huge effort," Brown said.

"For Nick, people know he's a talent and he is a colourful character too, so it should be good to have him along. He has done well to come back from his injuries and I think we all know what it takes to come back after a few setbacks."

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TOURISM chiefs hailed the Archbishop of York the answer to their prayers when they presented him with the top award at a major ceremony.

The annual York Tourism Awards, organised by Visit York, were held at the National Railway Museum last night, to celebrate excellence in the city’s crucial tourism industry.

Fourteen winners, picked from hundreds of entries, were presented with their awards at the event hosted by writer and broadcaster Gervase Phinn.

The award for Tourism Ambassador 2010 went to Dr John Sentamu for the role he plays both nationally and internationally in putting York on the map.

Since his arrival in the city in 2005, visitors have met the Archbishop offering open-air baptisms, he has visited flood victims in Cumbria and made visits overseas.

Visit York chairman John Yeomans said: “The Archbishop has contributed greatly to raising the profile of the city and we’re delighted he has accepted this award in recognition of the work he does both in York and across the globe.”

Last year he rode My Will, a Paul Nicholls horse, but could only manage 3rd. However, this year he’s on the favorite, Big Fella Thanks, who also happens to be trained by Nicholls. Big Fella Thanks had a great race last year as he finished 6th at the tender age of 7 so with Ruby Walsh in charge he might live up to his billing.

Tony McCoy, who this year is riding Don’t Push It, is one of the greatest jockeys of the modern era with over 3000 career wins which have brought him virtually every prize going except the coveted Grand National. Racing in the Aintree Grand National 2010 will mark the 15th time he has attempted the course so he is more than familiar with it but so far has only managed 3rd place.

Sam Twiston-Davies may not be a celebrated jockey but he’s making plenty of headlines for the Aintree Grand National 2010. At 17-years-old he’s competing to become the youngest winner since Bruce Hobbs won with Battleship in 1938. Hobbs was also aged 17 at the time. He’s riding a decent horse in Hello Bud, trained by his father Nigel, but his inexperience may take its toll.

Dr Sentamu, who was unable to attend the award ceremony in person, said it was a “great honour”.

He said: “York is one of the greatest cities in Britain. It’s not just the great tourist attractions we have here like the Minster, the Jorvik Viking Centre and the Railway Museum that draw people into the city – no, I put it down to the incredible people we have here in York. Yorkshire people may be famous for being straight talking, but they are also renowned for being warm-spirited, kind-hearted and very welcoming to our visitors. I think that’s the main reason people keep coming back – and also one of the main reasons I have won this award!”

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Richard Hannon jnr firmly believes Paco Boy will be hard to beat this season after he started the campaign in effortless style by sweeping away the opposition in the Bet365 Mile at Sandown.

Last year's winner of the Group Two event progressed to score in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot last summer but was roughed off after his mid-summer Sussex Stakes second in preparation for his five-year-old campaign.

The 11-10 favourite looked a cut above in the parade ring before the field headed to post and he cruised into contention on the outside under Richard Hughes.

After snatching the lead passing the furlong marker, Hughes was little more than an onlooker as his willing partner stretched over three lengths clear of international campaigner Pressing.

Hannon jnr, son and assistant to his father Richard, said: 'I just spoke to Dad on the phone and he agreed with me that the horse is definitely better this year.

'He will go to the Lockinge now and I wish that race had been today as he was so well. He's been gasping for a race for the last six to eight weeks and he kicked two windows out of his box as he's so fresh.

'I think he will struggle to find one to beat him after today.

'After the Lockinge there are races like the Queen Anne and the Jacques le Marios and connections are looking at all sorts of races in all sorts of places.'

The colours of Ballymacoll Stud were successful in the Bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes for the second year running as Glass Harmonium followed up stablemate Tartan Bearer's 2009 win under Ryan Moore.

Another to strike at Royal Ascot, the Michael Stoute-trained four-year-old made giant strides under the champion jockey - who was sporting a black eye after being hit by a piece of turf in the previous race - and the 11-1 chance displayed plenty of heart to hold the determined Redwood by a head.

Stoute said: 'He was a little bit behind schedule in early March so he will have needed the run and there may be more than normal progress from this.

'He's a horse we've always liked and I hope he can really go on and progress.

'He will stay a mile and a half but we won't go down that route at the moment and the Tattersalls Gold Cup is a race that springs to mind.'

Luca Cumani had jetted off to saddle Presvis in the Audemars Piguet QE II Cup in Hong Kong and missed his Mabait making it four wins on the bounce in the hands of Kieren Fallon in the Poker At bet365.com Handicap.

Cumani's son, Matt, said: 'This was a sighter to see how he had come on and he has obviously come on a lot.

'It looks like he will get further but a mile will be fine for him for now.'

Adam Kirby ensured the Flat riders were not beaten at their own game by lifting the Casino At bet365.com Flat v Jump Jockeys Handicap.

The annual clash between the stars of each code is always the subject of plenty of weighing room banter but Kirby had the right ammunition on his side in Halsion Chancer (8-1), a workmate of John Best's 2000 Guineas hope Inler.

Best's assistant Martin Smith said: 'It's a bit of a boost for Inler - the horse has worked with him two or three times.

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STAR Singapore sprinter Rocket Man, who has been entered for the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, routed his rivals into complete back-to-back victories in the $500,000 Lion City Cup on Saturday.

Rocket Man was beaten for only the second time in his career when runner-up to Kinsale King in last month's Dubai Golden Shaheen at Meydan, after which rider Robbie Fradd was subjected to much criticism back home in Singapore.

The South African admitted to being a relieved man after the four-year-old, who has now won nine races, got back to winning ways on Saturday at Kranji.

"It's not a monkey off my back - it's a gorilla!" said Fradd, quoted on the Singapore Turf Club website.

"There was a bit of pressure on me after Dubai. There was a bit of a hiccup in Dubai and it was my fault, but I have to thank Pat and Fred for sticking by me - this horse means the world to me.

"I've ridden a lot of good horses over my time. It is hard to judge horses over different distances, but I have no hesitation in declaring this horse as the best sprinter I have ridden.

"He has a really high cruising speed. He just breaks their hearts which he did today."

Rocket Man was sent to the front from the off and fought off the filly Mexican Rose before clearingaway at halfway and coasting home.

He scored by two and a quarter lengths from Waikato.

Rocket Man will now run in the KrisFlyer International Sprint back at Kranji next month before a possible trip to Ascot.

"What more can I say about him. He's a superstar!" said a delighted Shaw.

"He's back on track and the KrisFlyer is right on target. That's the way to ride him and he's proven yet again he is one class above."

 'After the Lockinge there are races like the Queen Anne and the Jacques le Marios and connections are looking at all sorts of races in all sorts of places.'

The colours of Ballymacoll Stud were successful in the Bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes for the second year running as Glass Harmonium followed up stablemate Tartan Bearer's 2009 win under Ryan Moore.

Another to strike at Royal Ascot, the Michael Stoute-trained four-year-old made giant strides under the champion jockey - who was sporting a black eye after being hit by a piece of turf in the previous race - and the 11-1 chance displayed plenty of heart to hold the determined Redwood by a head.

The annual clash between the stars of each code is always the subject of plenty of weighing room banter but Kirby had the right ammunition on his side in Halsion Chancer (8-1), a workmate of John Best's 2000 Guineas hope Inler.

Best's assistant Martin Smith said: 'It's a bit of a boost for Inler - the horse has worked with him two or three times.

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LOCAL rugby coach Colin Robertson has completed his own special 'Autumn Internationals 2010' after two decades of working with the nation's rising stars.

Much of his work in achieving the full England set was achieved during a 20-year career with the SRU in which Colin worked in a series of development and coaching roles, taking him firstly at national level to the technical coach position with the U-19s in the 1990s.

From 2004-07 he was head coach of the U-18 side before moving to take on the same post with the U-20 squad in World Cup and Six Nations campaigns.

The withdrawal of an U-17 coach opened the door for Grampian Institute of Sport manager Colin to take up the milestone appointment for the latest group of fixtures, which included an outing last week against a Newcastle Falcons Academy outfit.

"It's an honour to have the full set and I believe I'm the first person to have been head coach and assistant coach for all the age groups at national level - the only team I haven't coached is Scotland!" said Colin.

"There have been many highlights - the U-18 team in 2007 was the most successful, beating Wales, France and Italy in the Six Nations and there were only five points in the game against England.

"Coaching the U-20s to a World Cup where you are playing five games and maintaining that level of performance was also a memorable experience, and the with the U-19s we beat England and South Africa in World Cups so there have been many great memories," he added.

Pride over Colin's achievement is also shared at Strathmore Rugby Club in Forfar, particularly amongst the Strathie Sharks junior section which he has been instrumental in building since moving to the town from his native Gala in 1992.

Colin's closest Strathie interest centres around the progress of his son Struan's involvement in the club's Under-15s but, through his former SRU development role, he is very familiar with the good work being done at venues like Inchmacoble.

"It is the opposite end of the spectrum from the national teams, but Strathie is a great community environment," added Colin, who is counting on the club meeting one of his, so far, unfulfilled dreams.

"It is a frustration that nobody from Angus has played for Scotland and it would be great to think that with clubs like the Sharks continuing with their development that it could happen."

England V South Africa Hospitality

Autumn Internationals Hospitality

Fai Mika hopes a move to Tasman will catapult him into the Samoan reckoning for next year's Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Mika who made 29 appearances for Southland since debuting in 2007 will head north tomorrow after transferring to Tasman on a one-year deal.

The versatile 29-year-old, who can play both sides of the scrum, has struggled for regular starting opportunities with the Stags behind Highlanders props Jamie Mackintosh and Chris King.

He was optimistic the shift to the Makos would see him gain more playing time as he looks to crack the Manu Samoa squad for the first time.

"It's a big move, but one I'm really excited about," Mika told The Southland Times yesterday.

"I've always wanted to try out for the Samoan boys. It's a matter of getting game time. I went to the (Samoan) trials a couple of months ago and they said they had heard of me, but never seen me play."

Tasman have been big improvers in the Air New Zealand Cup in recent seasons and Mika said he was excited about the chance to bolster their propping stocks.

Mika will play his club rugby for Waimea, in Nelson, and was looking to play his first match in the next few weeks.

He said it was extremely difficult to be leaving Southland at a time when the union was on a massive high after winning the Ranfurly Shield for the first time in 50 years late last year.

"It is sad, but it's also exciting ... It's hard to beat that Ranfurly Shield. It's unreal. I still get shivers up my spine just thinking about it."

Southland appear to be pretty well covered in the front row, with rising talents like Micheal Peterson and Nic Barrett expected to play more of a role in the Stags squad this season. Mika predicted that both players had big futures ahead of them.

Rugby Southland boss Roger Clark said Mika had been a fantastic servant for the province.

"He's done a really good job. There's a lot of history there, too, with his brother. We've got plenty of props. It's a win-win situation."

Clark felt the time was right for Peterson and Barrett to make the step up to Air New Zealand Cup level.

"We've got two local boys, who are raring to go. They're both very good players ... We're not in the business of hoarding people."

England V Samoa Hospitality

Autumn Internationals Hospitality

Rugby is the catalyst but plans for a nationwide festival during Rugby World Cup 2011 will also showcase Kiwi culture, food and wine, and passion for the outdoors.

As the countdown to RWC 2011 continues, the New Zealand public has had a first glimpse of the six-week festival - scheduled to run in the lead-up to and during the tournament - with the unveiling this week of the first confirmed events.

From wild foods and adrenalin hits to fine wine and waka-racing - locals and visitors to Rugby World Cup 2011 will have the chance to experience the full spectrum of Kiwi life and culture, ensuring a non-stop party atmosphere throughout New Zealand.

According to the official coordinating body - the New Zealand 2011 office, the festival will be the biggest ever staged in New Zealand and will feature more than 1000 events.

While the New Zealand 2011 office is a government organisation, the festival will be largely driven by the regions.

Festival Director Briony Ellis says every region is taking the opportunity to showcase the best of its culture, people and landscapes, as well as local flavours and attractions.

She says the festival will touch every part of New Zealand, well beyond the 23 centres hosting games and teams.

Many events highlighting iconic New Zealand activities and landmarks are already showing on the online festival programme - www.corporatehospitalitygroup.com which will continue to grow in the lead up to the tournament.

On the South Island’s West Coast, locals are planning to serve up an exciting new food fest - the Great West Coast Whitebait and Wildfoods Challenge - that promises to put some of New Zealand’s iconic and unusual wild foods on the plate.

Visitors will be invited to sample and judge the challenge dishes that will be created at restaurants and eateries the length and breadth of the West Coast - from huhu grub bruschetta to the regional must-have fresh whitebait pattie sandwich.

Wellington is planning a rugby village, centred around a giant wharewaka - or canoe house - on the waterfront. The new development, scheduled for completion in early 2011, will be close to Te Papa national museum and the civic centre. Auckland is also planning a central city waterfront development.

Rugby will also dominate central Christchurch as the city turns Cathedral Square into a World Cup playground, featuring a giant dome and rugby field, for up to 10,000 fans.

England V New Zealand Hospitality

Autumn Internationals Hospitality

Danny Cipriani has challenged England coach Martin Johnson to pick him for next year’s World Cup. The sidelined fly-half pledged his availability for selection in an exclusive interview on Saturday night.

Ignoring Johnson’s warning that his transfer to Melbourne Rebels on a two-year contract would effectively rule him out of the tournament, Cipriani said: ‘If I am playing well enough at the time, I would like to think I could make the England squad for next year’s World Cup.

‘I have not had a chat about this with Martin Johnson, but it is my intention to make myself available.’

Last night the 22-year-old, who lines up for Wasps against London Irish today, was full of confidence about his move and his hopes for an Test recall.

He said: ‘Playing for England has always been my ambition, and it still is.

‘I am pleased with the decision I have made to join Melbourne Rebels, and I want to come back to England a better player for the experience.

‘I see it as a break to improve me as a player and as a person. I hope to return to the England squad faster, fitter and better than before.

‘If I play well enough for Melbourne, I would like to think that I could make the 2011 World Cup.’

Although Cipriani has slipped to sixth in England’s fly-half pecking order, he is still highly regarded at Twickenham.

Cipriani’s celebrity status has not endeared him to Johnson, but yesterday he said his

girlfriend, actress Kelly Brook, would be joining him in Melbourne for a trip he hopes will restore his status as the heir to Jonny Wilkinson.

Further south, Dunedin is planning live entertainment and a big television screen in the Octagon that will create a focal point for fans in the heart of the city.

Queenstown - New Zealand’s adventure tourism resort - won’t be hosting any games but is still expecting to draw crowds of tourists and locals into its own lakefront fan zone.

England V Australia Hospitality

Autumn Internationals Hospitality

Beating the record-breaking 2009 season is the challenge for York Racecourse this year, as head of marketing and sponsorship James Brennan tells STEVE CARROLL.

THEY could not have asked for a better year. Record crowds, two massive Saturday meetings, and the world’s best racehorse Sea The Stars capping the campaign with a fabulous Juddmonte International victory.

That’s the focus for the team at York Racecourse as they begin to gear up for their 17-day season on Knavesmire, which starts on May 12 with the three-day Dante Festival.

With Royal Ascot at York, the St Leger Festival and a four-day York Ebor Festival in the bank over the past half-dozen years, the feeling of “looking to go one better” is hardly new.

And, if anything, they relish the challenge.

“You always have to keep moving forward,” says James Brennan, York’s head of marketing and sponsorship. “2009 was a fantastic season, particularly coming after the disappointments of 2008.

“It was fantastic to see the trackwork project up and running and meet with approval from so many better judges than me. It was fantastic to see the world’s best racehorse Sea The Stars – the crowd really welcomed him back as a true champion, not just a winning favourite.

“It’s important to us that people come and support us and we are grateful for that because it all gets reinvested back into racing at York whether it is boosting prize money or capping attendance fees. It can only come on the back of people’s support and we are conscious of the need to keep earning that.”

The off-season saw York picking up gong after gong. They were hailed by the Racegoers Club, named the country’s top Flat course by the Racehorse Owners’ Association and their groundstaff were also praised with an industry award.

This year, the four-day Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival, running from Tuesday, August 17 to Friday, August 20, remains the ace in York’s pack, with the Juddmonte International, totesport Ebor, Darley Yorkshire Oaks and Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes the feature contests.

World Cup action should be a highlight of the 40th Charity Day, on Saturday, June 12, with England kicking off their challenge for the trophy against the USA following a meeting which has raised more than £4.7 million for cancer charities. Brennan reckons there is much to look forward to.

“It will be great to be coming back racing,” he added. “We are looking forward to seeing Madness perform. There’s always a buzz going into the season and you will start hearing talk about the St Nicholas Abbeys and the other horses that are set to come and run in May and will come back to us again in August.

“The experience of 2009 for most of the 80,000 people who attended the first four-day Ebor Festival was a positive one and we will come on for the run, as they say.

“You wouldn’t work at a racecourse without looking forward to the season. Every year, we have had some different things to do. It’s a great industry to be involved in on racedays.

“There is a real pride when the alarm clock goes off, you come in and the place is waking up. By the time racegoers and horses arrive it is a buzz. We will make sure we are ready.”

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Whinstone Boy worth a punt as rain continues to fall ahead of Glorious Goodwood Horseracing on Tuesday

Soft ground now seems increasingly assured for Tuesday Glorious Goodwood Horseracing meeting and conditions at Goodwood Racecourse will be markedly different to those at the Cheltenham Festival.

"Thankfully, the forecast is for the weather to improve in the second half of next week, but there are more showers due between now and then and it clearly looks as if it's going to be on the soft side," said the clerk of the course, Andrew Tulloch. "The grass is two to three weeks behind where we would want it to be. We take a lot of pride in making the surface as good as it can be, but the snow badly interrupted the grass growth."

Testing conditions would surely lead to a major shake-up in the betting. The favourite, Big Fella Thanks, won in atrocious conditions at Doncaster last season, while Mon Mome should also be fine, but the likes of Backstage, Can't Buy Time and State of Play would surely be disadvantaged.

Whinstone Boy, a noted mudlark, needs 14 higher-weighted horses to come out if he is to get a run but as long as he is declared, backers will have their stakes refunded even if he fails to make the final line-up. The downside to backing him at 33‑1 with William Hill looks minimal if the rain continues to fall as predicted.

Smith's-sponsored showpiece. It brings heartbreak for Jamie Codd, the amateur jockey who will now lose his dream mount.

That decision would once have been the province of Tony McCoy, these days retained by J.P.McManus. The champion owner has his usual multiple entry, for a race neither he nor his celebrated jockey has won, and McCoy's lengthy cogitations have had significant effects on the ante-post market.

Desert Orchid, easily the best of the British victors, was another to prove that class will out when he scored under 12st, giving between 26lb and 28lb to 13 rivals in 1990. There have been less distinguished winners, though, even bizarre ones. If Brown Lad was the Irish National's equivalent of Red Rum, then possibly its Foinavon may be found in Alike, successful in 1929 when ridden by Frank Wise, who was missing three fingers and rode with a wooden leg.

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Not content to emerge from the fields of Athenry to provide an act of outrageous giantkilling at the Grand National Festival, Paul Gilligan drew his newly honed sword to the same effect on home soil yesterday.

In five years the Co Galway trainer has notched just 34 victories, but more than half have come this season and the tally now includes two at the highest level after Jadanli followed Berties Dream into a Grade One winner's circle.

Neither was fancied, at least not by those outside their stables at Cahercrin. Berties Dream was 33-1 when he won last month's Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle and Jadanli 25-1 as he upstaged contenders from some of Ireland's major yards in yesterday's Powers Gold Cup at Fairyhouse. But the eight-year-old is held in enough regard at home to have been considered for this afternoon's Irish Grand National Festival, even though he had contested only three chases before yesterday and notched his first victory over fences just six weeks ago.

"He won well the last day," Gilligan said, "and we thought about the National but as he's a novice we decided to leave it this time. It will be the long-term plan for next year, though."

The gelding, one of 25 under Gilligan's care and nursed back after an injury-induced two-year absence, was ridden, like Berties Dream, by Andrew Lynch. Both horses now have the allegedly bigger guns in their sights again, at Punchestown later in the month.

Yesterday's was not a pretty victory. In gruellingly testing conditions at the Co Meath track just two of the 10 who set out completed the two and a half miles; Jadanli came in 23 lengths ahead of another outsider, Deal Done. Behind them Shakervilz was remounted for third after a slow, tired lurch over the last fence ejected Ruby Walsh. At the same obstacle Roberto Goldback fell and lay exhausted and winded for some minutes before regaining his breath and feet, and after blazing the trail Let Yourself Go was too leg-weary to be asked to jump it.

So the faint of heart should not tune in to today's climax at the Fairyhouse festival, the 139th running of Ireland's richest chase. Due to be contested by 30 runners over three miles, five furlongs and 22 fences, the marathon will be a proper war of attrition for man and, particularly, beast. A couple of long-priced mudlark lightweights, Will Jamie Run and Stewarts House, are suggested as a sporting interest.

The race's roll of honour is embellished by some of the greatest names of Irish racing, including Prince Regent, Fortria, Arkle, Flyingbolt and the sole triple winner, Brown Lad. The performances of Arkle and Flyingbolt bear close inspection; in 1964 Arkle carried 12st to a length and a quarter victory over Height O'Fashion, who was in receipt of 30lb and two years later his younger Tom Dreaper stablemate shouldered 12st 7lb and beat the same good mare two lengths, giving her 40lb.

The focus on the Irish National with the real thing in mind has sharpened since Bobbyjo and Numbersixvalverde followed up at Aintree the following year and, indeed, Niche Market is towards the head of the betting for Saturday's extravaganza, for which one man's hopes were extinguished yesterday. No sooner had amateur Liam Codd been booked to partner Character Building than came the news that the John Quinn-trained grey, a 20-1 shot, had been bought by David and Patricia Thompson. The owners of Cheveley Park Stud, who bought Party Politics shortly before his 1992 National victory, intend to have their new horse professionally ridden.

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Grand National Festival Hospitality

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The Grand National Festival is a drug win one and you can think only of winning another. Just ask Nigel Twiston-Davies or Venetia Williams, who try respectively for a third and second win at Aintree on Saturday. Or ask David and Patricia Thompson, who yesterday purchased a ready-made National runner, hoping to replicate a previously triumphant method.

The Thompsons own Cheveley Park Stud in Newmarket. Their business is breeding Flat horses. But a love of jumping is embodied by the National dream, finessed to fruition when they bought Party Politics just three days before his victory in 1992.

They have not cut it quite so fine this time. Character Building, trained in Yorkshire by John Quinn and already a Cheltenham Festival winner, was sold at the weekend to race in Mrs Thompson's colours in the John

“The new owners have asked that a professional ride the horse and enquiries are being made,” Quinn said. Those inquiries are likely to be fielded by jump racing's dominant agent, Dave Roberts, whose clients still without a National ride include Richard Johnson and Robert Thornton.

Other jockeys remain spoilt for choice. Timmy Murphy is to school a number of horses at David Pipe's Somerset stable today and discuss whether to remain loyal to Comply Or Die - the winner in 2008 and runner-up last year - or desert him for the lighter-weighted The Package, also owned by his employer, David Johnson.

Arbor Supreme and Can't Buy Time have already been the subject of public gambles - or bookmaker pragmatism - after rumours of McCoy's affiliation. The latest to get the treatment is Don't Push It, an increasingly likely choice if soft ground prevails, as seems probable.

Richie McLernon is awaiting McCoy's reject, with Graham Lee engaged for whichever Johnson-owned horse Murphy discards. The betting market will follow such decisions, while other horses to come in for weekend support included two that won over the National fences last April.

Irish Raptor graduates from the Topham Trophy and is the choice of Paddy Brennan from six intended runners in the Nigel Twiston-Davies yard. Another, the Scottish National victor Hello Bud, will be partnered by the trainer's schoolboy son, Sam.

A decision is expected today on whether the Gold Cup winner, Imperial Commander, will reappear in the totesport Bowl on Thursday. “I'm keen to run but the owners are not yet convinced,” Twiston-Davies said. Khyber Kim, runner-up for the yard in the Champion Hurdle, is an intended starter in the Aintree Hurdle on Saturday, when the opposition will include Zaynar.

Mon Mome was 100-1 when he won the National for Willliams last year but he could be a single-figure price as he bids to become the first since Red Rum to defend the crown successfully. Meanwhile, his trainer turns her attentions to a foreign National today, dispatching two horses from Herefordshire for the Irish version.

Aidan Coleman, the stable jockey who chose wrongly when partnering Stan instead of Mon Mome at Aintree, will ride Officier De Reserve rather than Flintoff, part-owned by the cricketer of the same name.

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Grand National Festival Hospitality

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Scrum-half Danny Care believes England are ready to produce "something really special" in their Calcutta Cup match against Scotland on Saturday.

Martin Johnson's side have been dogged by an inability to finish try-scoring chances but will be looking to avoid a third straight defeat at Murrayfield.

"And when it does click I think it will be something really special. Hopefully we can do that this weekend."

England have failed to score a try in either of their previous two Calcutta Cup matches at Murrayfield, but the Harlequins number nine is adamant that will change on Saturday.

"We have shown glimpses of how good we can be. We have just lacked a clinical edge in finishing off the tries," he continued.

And the 23-year-old was quick to defend half-back partner Jonny Wilkinson, who has come under criticism in recent weeks.

"I think Jonny and I are improving every week. He is obviously the best 10 I have ever worked with. It is great to have him outside you," stated Care.

"Ireland were very good at getting over the ball and slowing it down. It is frustrating when you are playing against players like that because you want the ball on a plate and you have to dig for it a bit.

The RFU has not moved from the line that Haskell, an England regular during the RBS Six Nations Championship, must remain with them during the second break in Six Nations action. It insists that his club contract allows the union his services in an England squad period, but Max Guazzini, the Stade president, said he could be in breach of contract if he does not return.

Guazzini is in no mood to back down. This week he has brought in a legal officer to witness Haskell’s absence from two training sessions in the run-up to Saturday’s game with Toulouse at the Stade de France. The player’s image has been widely used in pre-match publicity and Guazzini is by no means alone in believing the RFU’s attitude to be inflexible, although attempts could resume today to find a compromise.

But Stade receive no compensation when he is away, unlike English clubs, whose umbrella body, Premier Rugby, struck an eight-year deal with the RFU in 2008 over player release. French clubs were asked by the RFU to sign a letter of intent that covered, broadly, release periods but which they do not believe would stand up in court. Guazzini, in any case, did not sign it.

"This week we have worked a lot on our contact skills and our ruck drills and hopefully we can take that into the game and get some quick ball."

England full-back Delon Armitage was more succinct.

"We've got players whose strength is coming from deep and beating players and we haven't used them. We've talked about it but we haven't done it," said Armitage.

"We can't keep saying we're going to use it. There's no better time than right now to do it."

England V South Africa Hospitality

Autumn Internationals Hospitality