Coaches still weighing up test line-ups

By WYNNE GRAY

Uncertainty shrouds the selection of the All Black and England sides as they prepare for their sellout Twickenham test meeting in three weeks.

England have got to base one with the public announcement of a squad for the November 9 test, while the All Blacks' touring group will not be revealed until next Monday.

Injuries have removed Reuben Thorne, Anton Oliver, Tom Willis, Royce Willis, David Hill, Greg Feek and Ron Cribb.

Daryl Gibson and Bruce Reihana have moved out of contention after accepting overseas contracts.

All Black coach John Mitchell wants to rest more of his senior players, but that wish cannot be deemed concrete until his touring group of 14 forwards and 12 backs is revealed.

There is similar ambiguity about the England test team.

Coach Clive Woodward has picked a group of 33, with an additional squad of 13 younger men who will receive individual tuition alongside the senior members.

Several players in Woodward's main group will not be available against the All Blacks.

Prop Julian White is serving a 10-week ban for headbutting and Dan Luger and Iain Balshaw are recovering from serious injuries.

There are expectations in England that the test side should win two if not all three of their November tests against the Sanzar nations, but observers say Woodward is troubled by the lack of form from a number of his senior players.

Usual skipper Martin Johnson has been battling and is in competition with Danny Grewcock, Ben Kay and the promising Tom Palmer to lock the middle of the scrum. If Johnson misses, and his experience will be hard to ignore, there is a chance tighthead prop Phil Vickery could be made captain.

Vickery, Richard Hill, Jonny Wilkinson, Will Greenwood, Ben Cohen and Jason Robinson are considered cast-iron choices.

Competition for other places is busy, although there is not great depth in the front row and the threequarters.

Woodward, who has an eye on the World Cup and the need to develop some player depth, is keen to try Wilkinson at second five-eighths with Charlie Hodgson operating at first five-eighths.

It would also push Greenwood out to cover some weakness at centre, but the coach does not want to use that experiment for the opening test against the All Blacks.

Nor is he keen that Wilkinson play a club game for Newcastle against London Irish on the weekend before the test, but at the moment he has been unable to clear the five-eighths.

There are a number of choices for halfback where Kyran Bracken, Matt Dawson and Andy Gomersall are all competing well.

The loose-forward mix is also intriguing, with Lawrence Dallaglio and Neil Back not as sharp as Joe Worsley and Lewis Moody.