Rugby: England keen for test match

England does not want next year's All Black tour scrapped but says whether that happens is a matter for the International Rugby Board.

All Black coach John Mitchell said on Tuesday that the end-of-season tour to England, Wales and France should be scrapped.

He wants to give All Blacks the chance to recover before the 2003 World Cup, sending a development or Barbarians team instead.

His wish could be fulfilled only if the host unions agree, says New Zealand Rugby Football Union chief executive David Rutherford.

A spokesman for the England Rugby Union said it was keen for the Twickenham test to be played.

"The game is part of the IRB tour agreement ... Unless we hear otherwise, the game goes ahead. It's one %we're very much looking forward to."

%The spokesman said that with the test being the first time England would meet the All Blacks outside the World Cup for four years, Twickenham was likely to be a sellout.

The French Rugby Union said it would not comment until it had received formal notification that the NZRFU wanted the tour scrapped or downgraded to development XV or Barbarians status.

Welsh officials, and Wales coach Graham Henry, were in a day-long meeting and could not be contacted.

Nor was the IRB available for immediate comment. British rugby fans and journalists were keen for the All Blacks and England to meet this season, as both went through the northern autumn unbeaten.

In Ireland and Scotland last month Mitchell was bombarded with questions about whether he would have liked to have played England.

He said he was concentrating on the tour at hand.

Rutherford said Mitchell's desire not to have a tour at the end of a year reflected the wishes also held by his predecessors, John Hart and Wayne Smith.

All Black captain Anton Oliver has already said this year's tour was not very enjoyable and was a commitment the All Blacks could have done without.

The All Blacks won all five games on tour, but were scratchy in the test wins over the three hosts.

Rutherford said the NZRFU was obliged under IRB rules to field its most senior representative side for test matches.

New Zealand would not compromise its history by sending anything less than its top side.

In Sydney, a spokesman for the Australian Rugby Union said the Wallabies remained committed to touring Europe at the end of next season.

Asked whether the ARU would consider resting key players, high performance manager Jeff Miller said: "It's too early to comment on that."

- AGENCIES