Thursday 31 May 2007
The challenge for England this Saturday will be fielding a full squad rather than combating the physical game of the Springboks.
Only eight backs are fit at present, with three of those being scrumhalves. Mike Brown, James Simpson-Daniel and Andy Farrell are reportedly too sick to play or even fly back to England. Andy Hazell has failed to recover from the knee injury incurred in Bloemfontein and has also been ruled out of the Test.
Skipper Jason Robinson has also been unable to train due to fluid on the knee and has been working feverishly in the swimming pool and on other exercises in an attempt to be fit for Saturday’s clash.
David Strettle (stomach virus) and Iain Balshaw (shin) were sent home earlier this week, while prop Nick Woods was ruled out of the tour ahead of last week’s game due to a pectoral tear.
The Poms were expected to come away from South Africa with a 2-0 series defeat, as the club competitions in Europe saw their top players omitted from the touring party. The English press hoped this would not be a repeat of the England tours to South Africa, Australia and New Zealand 1998, forever remembered as the ‘Tour of Hell’, but the truth is England may be in for even more humiliation at the weekend.
The England squad of 22 will only be announced on Friday afternoon. Coach Brian Ashton has confirmed he has no intention of issuing a request to the IRB that the Test be called off.
Posted by JC - keo.co.za
*Disclaimer - Views expressed within this story are not necessarily the views of this Blog
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