England have called up uncapped prop
Paul Doran-Jones as cover for David Wilson for
Saturday’s game against Argentina.
The 24-year-old Gloucester player comes in
following earlier injuries to Phil Vickery, Julian White and
Andrew Sheridan as England’s front-row resources continue to
be stretched.
Manager Martin Johnson will announce his team
for the Pumas clash today (Wednesday), with England now
having slipped to eighth in the official IRB rankings. They
have been overtaken by Wales, who lost 19-12 at home
to New Zealand at the weekend.
Wales take on Samoa on Friday night
with the visitors warning it could be a bone-crunching
encounter. “Rugby is a physical game and it is very
important we are physical against Wales,” said forwards
coach Peter Fatialofa.
Wales, who named Dan Biggar at fly-half, will
be without flanker Dafydd Jones for the rest of the autumn
series due to a shoulder injury.
Scotland will be captained by former
Perpignan scrum-half Chris Cusiter when they tale on Fiji
on Saturday. Cusiter has been preferred ahead of Mike Blair
by coach Andy Robinson.
Toulon’s Rory Lamont starts at full-back,
with Clermont Auvergne’s Jason White on the bench. Cusiter’s
former Perpignan colleague Nathan Hines – now at Leinster –
is also in the starting line-up.
Scotland coach Robinson has warned against
complacency, reminding all that Fiji are ahead of Scotland
in the IRB rankings and saying his team will have to “fight
fire with fire”.
Fiji include several Top 14 players
themselves, with the likes of Clermont’s free-scoring winger
Napolioni Nalaga, but they won’t be watched by the FRU’s
chief executive after Keni Dakuidreketi was banned from
travelling due to an ongoing corruption investigation.
The alleged offences pre-date his time as the
FRU’s chief executive, but his request to accompany the team
was refused by the High Court at Suva last week.
New Zealand will be without fly-half
Dan Carter when they take on Italy at a
sold-out San Siro in Milan on Saturday. The 80,000-strong
crowd was denied his appearance after the former Perpignan
player picked up a one-match ban for a high tackle.
IRB judicial officer Jeff Blackett ordered
the suspension after Carter was cited for the tackle on
Martin Roberts during the All Blacks’ weekend win in
Cardiff.
South Africa have named an entire
reserve front row in preparation for Friday night’s showdown
with France in Toulouse. Both sides have bolstered up
ahead of what is expected to be a forwards led battle, with
Springboks coach Peter de Villiers confirming the belief.
“If you study the way France play, then you
know to expect a forward onslaught. We don’t have anything
to fear, but we have to be ready for it and a full front row
on the bench is the right thing to do,” he said.
South Africa have made four changes from the
team which beat New Zealand in Hamilton to win the
Tri-Nations in September. Fit again Adrian Jacobs comes in
for Jean de Villiers at inside centre, Zane Kirchner starts
at full-back in place of Francois Steyn – now at
Racing-Metro 92 – JP Pietersen takes Odwa Ndungane’s place
on the wing and Ryan Kankowski comes in for the injured
Pierre Spies.
South Africa team v France:
Starting XV: Zane Kirchner, JP Pietersen, Jaque
Fourie, Adrian Jacobs, Bryan Habana, Morne Steyn, Fourie du
Preez, Ryan Kankowski, Schalk Burger, Heinrich Brüssow,
Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, John Smit (capt), Bismarck
du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira
Replacements: Adriaan Strauss, Wian du Preez, CJ van
der Linde, Andries Bekker, Danie Rossouw, Ruan Pienaar,
Wynand Olivier.
